Ice Fury
by Piero217
Summary: A year after Elsa's coronation, Arendelle is once again covered in snow overnight. The Snow Queen could be the first suspect, but there's something different about this mysterious winter weather. Elsa is determined to find its source, but in doing so, she will not only meet a kindred spirit but also find herself in the middle of a terrible war which no one is expecting.
1. Snow

**A/N: Hi everyone! I promise I'll keep author's notes to a minimum, but I do need to write this one before we get started to clarify a few things.**

**First, this story takes place a year after _Frozen_ and about two years after _How To Train Your Dragon_. In this storyline, the events of _Frozen_ happened in parallel with episode 14 of _Dragons: Defenders of Berk_ (also titled "Frozen"), and thus, Elsa's "eternal winter" also reached Berk for some time before the Great Thaw, after which Berk was also freed from the crazy weather. I'm basing this on Anna's statement to Elsa while in the Ice Palace ("You kind of set off an eternal winter _everywhere_").**

**Second, I am _not_ touching the already established pairings of both movies (sorry, HiccElsa shippers). I actually find Hicstrid quite lovely, and anyways, they're not really making much of an appearance in this story. Besides, I am a hardcore Jelsa shipper, so I really can't picture Elsa with anyone else other than Jack Frost. By now, I imagine some of you may already be confused by what I meant with "a kindred spirit" in the summary. Just wait and keep reading; I believe you'll like it (SPOILER ALERT: it's not a human at all).**

**Third, this story will be divided into two parts, but they will both be within the same fic. The first one will be updated regularly; the second one, however, won't come out until after _How To Train Your Dragon 2_ is released in a month. This obviously means that if you haven't seen HTTYD2 by the time I begin writing the second part of this story, you'll be completely spoiled, so I strongly suggest that you wait until you've seen the movie to keep reading this fic in order to avoid spoilers. I will let you know when the first part is complete.**

**That's all for now. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own ****_Frozen_ or _How To Train Your Dragon_.**

* * *

A soft rain started to fall all over the kingdom of Arendelle, forcing those of its citizens who were either in the market or in the docks to seek shelter wherever they could. Some kids, however, were already playing outside, soaking themselves in newly-formed puddles and ignoring their parents' warnings about catching a cold until the parents had no other choice but to bring the children inside their homes themselves. The ships that were still out in the open seas were already turning around to go back to the safety of the fjord before the weather could get any worse.

More and more raindrops began hitting the windows of every house and building, including the castle. Most people tended to ignore it and just go on with their activities, but not Elsa. She actually enjoyed the rhythmic sound, finding it quite relaxing. Leaning on the windowsill, her eyes danced between the falling drops, following them as they reached the bottom of the glass. Her mind was suddenly free of all worries as she focused on the movement of the water. Then, melancholy took over.

Of course the rain often reminded her of the storm in which her parents' ship had perished, and most times the thought even made her shed some tears. But then she would think of their faces as they told her those last words: "You'll be fine, Elsa." They had trusted and believed in her when they left, and she knew they would be proud of her now. After everything she'd gone through, she had finally learned how to control her powers and unleash the beauty of it, all thanks to her sister's love. Now she also was a great and benevolent queen, loved by everyone in her kingdom just as much as she loved them. At least so Anna kept telling her.

She and Kristoff, along with Sven and Olaf, were visiting Kristoff's family of trolls and wouldn't be returning until the next day. Elsa felt glad that her sister had not only found a man who loved her with all his heart but that they were also taking their time to let their relationship grow and become stronger before even thinking of marriage. Still, the time would come when they _would_ marry, and nothing would make her happier than to be there for her sister's wedding. As for Elsa, she really wasn't considering marriage on a short-term. For the moment, she didn't want nor need a husband to rule Arendelle, even if her advisors kept telling her that she had to keep up with the tradition. Perhaps one day in the future, but not now. She had other things to care about.

"Your Majesty?" a voice called from the threshold of her room, making Elsa leap as she realized she'd started to doze off leaning against her window.

"Yes, Gerda?" she replied, rubbing her eyes.

"Perhaps you should take the rest of the day off, Your Highness."

Elsa smiled. Gerda always had a way of telling her so much with such few words. During the last week, she had been very busy planning how to celebrate the anniversary of her coronation, which was only three days away. Now she was exhausted, but at least everything was ready. Truth be told, she probably wouldn't have done so had it not been for Anna's insistence to "throw a big party" for everyone. Her sister had even offered to prepare everything, but in the end Elsa had warmed to the idea of doing it herself. Her ideas ranged from making a ball to making a great picnic within the castle's walls to organizing a massive snowball fight. In the end, she had opted for the latter, thinking everyone would have a lot of fun. Yeah, maybe Anna's enthusiasm was rubbing off on her.

"Yeah, maybe I will. Thank you, Gerda."

The maid bowed and left, closing the door behind her. Elsa made use of her powers to change her dress into a nightgown, and then she slipped under the sheets and let her head rest on the soft pillows. She considered the possibility of taking an entire week off at her Ice Palace once the anniversary celebration was over. It wouldn't be the first time she returned there since the… incident, but still, it had been at least three months since her last visit and she kind of missed Marshmallow. Perhaps Olaf would like to come as well.

Before she knew it, Elsa had already fallen asleep to the sound of raindrops falling on her window.

* * *

Day became night without anyone noticing it through the thick layer of gray clouds. The rain kept falling until well after midnight, when the raindrops suddenly became snowflakes that quickly covered the entire kingdom. Had anyone in Arendelle been staring at the top of the North Mountain, that person would've been able to see several white-blue glowing balls of ice streaking across the sky from its peak. From that distance, however, no one would've been able to hear the mighty roar that pierced the night like thunder.

* * *

"Elsa! Please, wake up!"

Elsa forced her eyes open as she heard her sister's desperate voice. "Anna? What's happening?"

"I don't know! You tell me!"

"What?"

"Did you do it? Just tell me. You know I won't judge you."

This was getting ridiculous. "Anna, seriously, what are you talking about?"

Anna suddenly fell silent for a moment. "You really don't know what's going on?"

"No, and I'd really appreciate it if you told me."

Anna gestured at the window. "See for yourself."

Elsa had no other choice but to get out of the bed and walk towards the window. And as soon as she stared outside, she understood why her sister was so distressed. Everything she saw was covered in white.

She was speechless while she tried thinking of anything that could've caused her to lose control of her powers like this during her sleep—for there could be no other explanation for this weather. But the more she thought of it, the more baffled she was. Why would her emotions get out of control at all? It wasn't as if she'd been building up any kind of stress that would've been released overnight. Moreover, not even before she learned how to control her powers had something like this happened.

"Um, Elsa?" Anna said. "I imagine there's a lot going on in your mind now, and I don't want to worry you even more, but…"

She hesitated, so Elsa turned to look into her sister's eyes. She didn't say a word; she just gave her a slight yet reassuring smile as she placed a hand on Anna's shoulder. Eventually, Anna continued. "Kristoff and I were on our way back this morning when we saw a…" Her quivery voice trailed off, and it took her another moment to regain her composure. "It looked like an army or armies, I don't know. They all looked like soldiers but they weren't wearing the same uniforms. They were marching this way on the Northern Road."

Elsa tried as hard as she could not to feel anxious about this. "Maybe they're just passing by and—"

Anna immediately shook her head. "They're coming for you," she said, and before Elsa could ask, she added, "Olaf jumped out of the sled before we could stop him. He ran and hid behind a tree on the side of the road, and then he came back in a hurry and told us that he'd overheard some of the soldiers talking among them and saying something about 'slaying the ice monster'." By now, Anna was stuttering and tears were clouding her eyes. "We had to leave the sled behind so that Sven could take a shortcut through the woods and take us all here as quickly as possible. We had to warn you."

Elsa embraced Anna who started to cry on her shoulder. She understood her sister's fear because it was something Elsa herself had feared would happen ever since her secret became known. The people of Arendelle had been more comprehending about her powers, but not everyone would feel the same way.

So maybe this subconscious fear _had_ been the cause of this snowfall. It certainly was the reason why snow was now falling inside the room. However, part of her had known full well that this day could come and was ready for it. She quickly planned her course of action; then, she took a deep breath to calm herself, and the snowflakes ceased.

"Anna, listen to me," she spoke softly into her sister's ear. "Everything is going to be fine, okay?" She recalled once again her father's last words of comfort to her. "We'll be fine. But I need you to stay calm and trust me on this, alright?"

Anna nodded into her shoulder, and once Elsa felt certain that her sister had calmed down, she let go of her. She conjured her queenly outfit and left the room with Anna trailing closely behind. She made her way outside to the courtyard's open gates where Kristoff, Sven, and Olaf were all in wait. Beyond the city limits, a black column of people on the road stood out among its white surroundings.

"Those are the soldiers you saw?" Elsa asked Kristoff.

"Yes. I counted about two hundred armed men."

"Close the door behind me," she told him firmly as she started to walk forward.

"What?" Anna shrieked. "Elsa, you can't be considering—"

"Anna," Elsa cut her sister off, this time placing both hands on her shoulders, "Remember what I told you. We'll be fine. Trust me."

And trying to look as confident as possible, she walked outside and stood in the middle of the narrow bridge that linked the castle with the rest of the village, not even turning back to see when the gates were closed. The small army was getting closer, But Elsa remained calm, breathing deeply and going over the names of the people she loved the most and the reasons why she loved them in her mind. Her plan was simple; she would prove to these people that she was not a monster by unfreezing the fjord and melting the—

The fjord. She hadn't noticed it until now, but it _wasn't_ frozen. Had this been her doing, chances were the water would've instantly turned to ice. Also, the snow seemed to be melting where the few rays of sunshine that managed to pierce the cloudy sky touched the ground. Therefore, this maybe was _not_ her fault after all.

The soldiers wouldn't know that, though, so she still would still need to carry out her plan and thaw everything to prove that she meant no harm for anyone. But first, she would make use of diplomacy. Thus, when the army finally reached the bridge, she called out, "Greetings, and welcome to Arendelle. I am Queen Elsa."

"The Snow Queen," the man leading the army said before Elsa could continue. "We know who you are, and we are glad that you have come to meet us here."

The man's words sounded somewhat menacing, so Elsa felt surprised when the soldiers bowed before her. The leader came forward and said, "I am Captain Sigurd, at your service."

Elsa didn't fail to notice that Sigurd had not mentioned his country of origin. "What is your purpose here, Captain Sigurd, may I ask?"

"We've come here to warn you of an impending threat to your kingdom, Your Highness," Sigurd replied, "and to hunt it down."

"A threat?" Elsa repeated.

"A beast," Sigurd said. "A nightmarish creature unlike anything you've ever seen before, capable of freezing everything and anyone in its path. We call it the ice monster."

* * *

**A/N: Not my best first chapter (especially the ending), but please give it a try. It'll be worth it, you'll see.**

**Don't forget to review on your way out!**


	2. The Ice Monster

"So… you're absolutely certain that they're _not_ coming after you?"

Elsa chuckled. "Yes, Anna, I'm certain. They're hunting some_thing_, not some_one_."

After what had felt like an eternity for Anna, Elsa had finally told Kristoff to reopen the gates and let her back in a few hours ago. Relieved to see her safe and sound, Anna would've embraced her sister then and there, but the shock of seeing an army march unhindered into the castle's courtyard wouldn't let her. Elsa had asked Kristoff to make sure that the soldiers were properly taken care of, and then she had told Anna to follow her back inside the castle. She then explained what the soldiers' business in Arendelle was and that she'd come to an agreement with the army's leader—a guy with black hair and sideburns called Sigurd—to let his men stay within the castle's walls.

Now, Anna was contemplating the courtyard from her sister's window. Where that very morning there had been nothing but snow, there were now tents and small campfires all over the place. She was still not entirely convinced of what these people said they were doing here, but she took her sister's word for it.

"Alright, they're hunting a monster. Did Sideburns tell you anything else?"

"Captain Sigurd, Anna."

"Whatever."

"Oh, come on. Not every guy with sideburns is evil."

"If you say so."

Elsa shook her head in disbelief as she chuckled again. "Yes, he told me a few things. He's still reluctant to reveal the name of his place of origin, but he claims to be from the first northern kingdom to be raided by the ice monster. He's been chasing it ever since, following its path of destruction. His army is actually a collection of soldiers from every other kingdom he's been at during his quest to kill the beast, including Weaseltown—I mean, Weselton."

Anna giggled at the mention of Weselton, but then she considered a possibility. "Those two thugs that tried to kill you last year wouldn't happen to be part of Sideburns'—Sigurd's army, would they?"

"Actually, I've already run into them," Elsa replied nonchalantly. "Let's just say that I gave them an… icy stare. Only as a friendly reminder of what I can do."

Anna was surprised to hearing her sister make fun of her own powers. This was progress. She began laughing at the thought of those two faces, though her laughter was also one of joy for Elsa's new attitude. Elsa didn't join in the laughter; she simply smirked.

Kristoff chose that moment to rejoin them. "All of the soldiers have settled in. They're resting now," he announced.

"Thank you, Kristoff," Elsa replied. "And thank you as well for looking after my sister."

"I'm just glad things went well," he said as he placed his right arm around Anna's waist. She in turn leaned her head on his shoulder. It made her feel so secure, especially at times of severe distress—like earlier that day. He had always been there for her, even before they'd both realized their feelings for each other. She was still thankful with the trolls for their part in that.

She was also glad that Elsa had accepted their relationship to the point where he had even become like a brother to her. He was obliged to address her as 'Your Majesty' in public, but whenever it was only the three of them—or the five of them, if one were to include Olaf and Sven—Elsa always insisted that he call her by her name or at least lose the royal title. He was like family, after all.

Suddenly, Anna's thoughts went in another direction. "What do you think the monster looks like?" she wondered out loud.

"I heard a few of the soldiers say that it's 20 feet tall and has arms like trees," Elsa said.

"That's not what I heard," Kristoff said. He let go of Anna and began gesturing with his hands like he was telling a horror story as he continued. "They say it's like a ghost or wraith conjures the coldest mist and manifests itself within it as a shadow with piercing blue eyes that can freeze the soul of anyone unfortunate enough to stare into them."

Anna looked at him seriously. "That doesn't sound very logic. Elsa said that the monster raids villages for food, and ghosts don't feed on normal food. They don't eat at all, in fact."

"I'm just saying, that's what some of the soldiers think," Kristoff replied, raising both palms up in self-defense.

"Some of those soldiers are new to this quest and very gullible too," another voice said behind their backs, making all three of them turn around in surprise. It was Sigurd. "Forgive my intrusion, Your Highness."

"How dare you walk into the Queen's—" Anna began, but Elsa raised her hand to stop her.

"I granted you and your men a safe place to rest within the castle's walls, Captain," she said calmly yet authoritatively. "Don't abuse of my hospitality."

"I simply wanted to be sure that you had followed my advice."

"My messengers are spreading the word as we speak. The entire kingdom will be on curfew until you tell me that the menace is gone."

"What?" Anna asked disbelievingly. "A curfew?"

"It's just for a few days, Princess," Sigurd said.

"B-b-but the anniversary celebration!" Anna stuttered. "We can't cancel it. Elsa!"

"We're not cancelling it, we're just postponing it," Elsa reassured her. Anna wasn't pleased with this, though. Sideburns had just arrived and he'd already convinced Elsa to let his men inside the castle and forced her to establish a curfew and delay the event she'd spent so many days preparing for. What was next, a coup? She narrowed her eyes at Sigurd and for a moment wished she had her sister's powers so that he could freeze the man where he stood.

"If you had seen what I've seen, you would be doing the same," Sigurd alleged. "You have no idea of what this creature is capable of. This is no ordinary creature, even though it's not anything like what some of my men wildly imagine it to be either."

"Have _you_ seen it?" Anna challenged.

"Not once. That's what makes it dangerous."

"But how can you know—"

"Because I've been hunting it without rest for nearly a year!" Sigurd replied exasperatedly. Then, realizing that he'd just lost his temper in front of royalty, he regained his composure and continued. "I have learned how it works—how it _thinks_. It is smart, extremely smart. It knows how to remain concealed and makes use of the elements to that end. During the winter, it tended to raid villages more freely during the day _and_ the night, and no one was ever able to see it, so I believe that its skin is as white as the snow it blends into. In the last few months, however, with the winter gone, it has had to improvise. Last night it rained, so all it had to do was to turn that rain into snow."

"Yeah, how did it do that, by the way?" Kristoff asked.

"I don't know _how_ it makes ice, but I _do_ know that it cannot make a lot of it at once. That's why it has been taking advantage of rain clouds. It literally shoots its ice at the clouds to freeze the water, sometimes two or three days in a row if the weather favors it. Then, and only then, it strikes."

"With the freshly fallen snow as cover," Elsa said, nodding in understanding.

"Precisely. If the weather becomes warm enough to turn the snow into mist, it will use it as a smokescreen to move freely, but is also able to create its own icy mist if needed be. If for some reason it feels threatened regardless, it casts a shadow against the mist to appear even more menacing than what it is, but that's just a trick. But if anyone underestimates it and tries to get too close to it, well…" Sigurd made a dramatic pause before concluding. "All you need to know is that I've seen enough people lose limbs because of its ice for a lifetime, and yet none of them have been able to see it clearly."

"That doesn't sound very encouraging," Kristoff said. "How can you hope to kill it if you can't even see it?"

"Oh, we'll see it eventually," Sigurd said confidently. "The only reason why it doesn't stay in a single place for long is because the weather doesn't always favor him, and so it's forced to look for another place to raid. And for all its intelligence, it's made a big mistake. It keeps fleeing south. Soon, not even his little tricks will be able to help it."

"The warm weather will melt its ice and snow faster than he can replace it," Elsa said matter-of-factly.

"Yes. For now, it will be better if everyone gathers supplies and remains indoors. Let it scavenge whatever it can from the market and the docks. Then it will move on, and so will I."

"And you'll eventually catch up with it and slay it, and you'll return home crowned in glory," Anna said sarcastically.

"I'm not doing this for glory, nor do any of my men. We just want to stop this scourge from harming anyone else, that's all."

"Yeah, right," Anna rolled her eyes.

"Think of me as you will, Princess. I'm not here to please any of you." Then he said to Elsa, "Just consider what's best for your people." And without any other word, he left.

"Was such hostility really necessary, Anna?" Elsa asked her once Sigurd was gone.

"I don't like him, Elsa."

"Neither do I, but I can't risk sending him away only for his assertions to become true. He has a lot more manpower than we do, and if this monster does strike, I'd rather have these people here to defend us. Besides, if what he says is true, then all we have to do is to put up with him for a few days. He'll leave soon, chasing the beast, and things in Arendelle will be back to normal."

"You just said it. _If_ what he says is true." Elsa raised an eyebrow at Anna. "Oh, come on. Don't tell me you don't feel like he's hiding something."

Elsa simply stared down and didn't reply.

* * *

Two nights later, a slim figure moved cautiously towards the docks, careful not to let her clothes get stuck into anything. She didn't want to be found out here at all, since she was purposely violating the curfew, and all because of a sudden whim. How could staying indoors be this boring? She scoffed at herself; in the past, she was too worried to care about finding ways to entertain herself, but now she had run out of options to keep her mind busy during her spare time. If she had to be honest with herself, though, part of her simply couldn't shake the idea of being the first one to see something more than just a mirage.

She wanted to see the creature with her own eyes.

Her hopes of remaining unseen faded away when she bumped into a pair of small shapes that let out a small shriek as they fell to the ground.

"I'm sorry!" she exclaimed in a whisper, barely able to keep her own balance. "Are you okay?"

Rubbing her head, one of the kids sat up, and her eyes beamed. "Queen Elsa!" she yelled then turned to her young companion and told him excitedly, "It's the Queen! It's the Queen!"

"Shhh!" Elsa desperately tried to hush the girl. She seemed to understand quickly enough and took both hands to her lips to keep herself from yelling any more, an innocent smile drawn across her face.

"What are you doing here, Your Majesty?" the girl's companion asked.

"What are _you_ doing here?" Elsa countered. "You should be in bed."

"We wanted to see the ice monster," the boy replied, much to Elsa's surprise. All she had made publicly known was that the soldiers had come to fight a terrible menace to the kingdom and that it would be safer to stay indoors. So the rumors of what _exactly_ was going on had spread across Arendelle already.

"Why?" Elsa asked the children, amazed by their braveness in spite of everything. "Aren't you afraid of it?"

"Aren't you?" the boy replied.

"I can defend myself if needed be. You, however, could be in grave danger." She wasn't scolding them, but her tone was serious enough that they would understand that this was not a children's game.

"We just wanted to help it," the girl said in disappointment, lowering her head. Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"Help it?"

"To be good again. Just like your sister helped you."

Elsa couldn't help but to be moved by this little girl's innocent point of view, but her words also reflected her own thoughts. That was the reason why she was here, too.

Thus far, things had come to pass the way Sigurd has said they would. In the last two days, rain had turned into snow that had added to the first layer which had almost completely melted by then even though the sun had remained hidden behind the clouds all this time. Today, however, the sky had started to clear up shortly after dusk, and the warmth of this summer night was turning the snow into a thick icy mist. The monster would undoubtedly appear tonight.

But what if it wasn't a monster?

She had been _born_ with her powers, but it was possible that this 'creature' had been _cursed_—a man or woman turned into a beast with ice powers. It was the only explanation for its intelligence and ability to adapt. Maybe all it was trying to do was to find a way to break the curse. Such had been Elsa's thoughts as she had slipped away from the castle a while ago, walking on the water to get around it and into the fjord and thawing the leftover ice trail to make sure that no one found her here. She sighed.

"Okay, you can help, but only if you promise to find a place to hide and stay there if things go awry," she told the kids. The girl recovered her bright smile and nearly began jumping all over the place, but Elsa gesture for her to remain still. "And be quiet."

The girl nodded in approval. "So, where can we wait for it?"

Elsa began looking around. She spotted a warehouse with plenty of barrels to provide cover. "We can wait there. Come with me."

Both kids took her by the hand and followed her. Crouching behind a cluster of barrels close to the entrance, the girl suddenly took a hand to her nose. "What's that smell?"

"It's fish," the boy said. "I think this is where they keep the fish."

That wasn't good. If they could smell it, so would the creature. This was the worst place to be. "Okay, change of plans. Let's go find another place to hide."

Both children nodded, but then they heard a growl at the entrance to the warehouse. Elsa motioned for the kids to stay down, and then she peek over the barrel to see a shadow moving within the mist and into the building. It appeared to be walking on all fours and didn't seem to be too big. She crouched again and waited, listening closely, hoping that it would move past them and scavenge some of the other barrels. The mist only seemed to get thicker by the minute, until suddenly she heard something to her left side. All three of them turned to look that way and were met by a pair of blue, glowing eyes.

The eyes of a hungry predator.

* * *

**Don't forget to review on your way out! **


	3. Blue Eyes

Elsa was hoping against all hope that the creature hadn't yet realized that they were there.

The mist was displaced a few times as the beast sniffed the air then puffed. She could swear she was seeing teeth behind the mist, right below those blue eyes, but that could just as well be a fear-induced figment of her imagination. The eyes, however, were as real as the two kids beside her. They reminded her of a feline gaze—fierce and piercing and capable to look right into one's very soul. No wonder there were such wild stories among Sigurd's soldiers.

The girl suddenly stirred, and the creature's gaze became fixed on her. It hissed; out of hunger or anger, Elsa didn't know nor cared. Her mind was too busy right now, going over any and all possible choices of defense and trying to determine which one would be the best. She could try freezing the creature's feet, and then make a run for it with the children—if only she could see it. But in order to see it, she would have to lift the mist, which could turn out to be the last thing she ever did if she tried. She had no way of knowing how fast the creature was. Another option was to create a sphere of thick ice around her and the children and wait until the beast decided to leave them alone. But if it was capable of creating ice, could it also thaw it at will?

Despite the fact that she had considered all of this in less than three seconds, in that time the girl had already crawled closer to the creature's face without Elsa even noticing it until it was too late. Or so she thought.

"Don't worry, mister ice monster," the girl said. "We don't want to hurt you. We just want to help you be good again."

"Kat, careful," the boy cautioned.

But the girl wouldn't listen. She lifted an open palm and said, "You don't have to be bad anymore. Let us help you."

Elsa was slowly moving her own hand towards the girl—Kat—, ready to pull her out of harm's way in a moment's notice and hoping that the creature wouldn't get to her faster. She was greatly surprised when the beast's eyes—and thus its face—began darting back and forth between the girl and the fish barrels behind her. Its expression softened and became a mixture of desperation and indecision, almost as if it was torn between feeding at all costs and sparing the children.

Was that a sense of morality behind the façade of a devilish being?

Then, without warning, the creature stood on his two hind legs and let out a deafening screech. Elsa drew the children closer and wrapped them tightly under her arms, lowering her head and thrusting her shoulders forward in a feeble attempt to use them to cover her ears from the sound. Glancing for a moment at the creature, she thought she saw the outline of a pair of… wings?

As soon as it had begun, the screeching stopped, and the creature slipped away. Elsa breathed her relief. The so-called monster was more than just smart; it had a conscience. It had _chosen_ not to kill them. Maybe she and Kat were right.

Her childlike curiosity took over.

"Stay here, and don't move," she ordered the children. They looked shocked, but they nodded anyway. Satisfied, she stood and walked slowly towards the exit.

As she stepped outside, she was able to make out a paddling sound getting away. She looked at the water and saw the ripples—the kind that that resembled a small boat's wake. The monster was fleeing, but why? And more importantly, to where?

She took a big risk and used her powers to thin the mist, not lifting it entirely but just enough to at least find the silhouette of the beast. Her action bore fruit sooner than expected. There it was, swimming away on some sort of ice slab. Elsa's awe was growing by the minute. This creature couldn't move _through_ the water, but it had devised a way to swim _above_ it and use it as a means to escape. Smart, indeed, and stunningly creative.

The sound of rushing footsteps behind her alerted her of people approaching the docks. She quickly took note of the direction the creature was heading to, and then she thickened the mist again. She rushed back into the warehouse to check up on the children. Kat was still frozen in place, but her cute, bright smile had reappeared by now.

"Queen Elsa, did you see it?" she asked, unable to hide her excitement.

"Yes, Kat, I saw it," Elsa replied, the little girl's smile bringing one to her own face.

"I told you it wasn't bad," she told the boy.

"Hey! Who's there?" a man called from outside.

Elsa was not sure of what to say. In the end, she didn't need to say anything. A few of Sigurd's men, including the Duke of Weselton's bodyguards, entered the warehouse with their weapons at the ready. They all halted when they saw the Queen with a couple of children, just standing there.

"What in the world are you thinking?" Sigurd himself bellowed as he too arrived at the building. "I told you not to engage…" His voice trailed off when he saw Elsa.

_So much for a stealthy escapade_, she thought.

* * *

Sigurd paced furiously around the castle's throne room, visibly upset. Elsa, standing in front of her throne, watched him with an emotionless expression. "This is outrageous, unacceptable! Exposing yourself and some children to danger like that," he finally said.

"I found the children at the docks. How could I leave them alone? You should be thankful that I was there to—"

"No, _you_ should be grateful that the demon didn't see you!"

_It _did_ see us_, she thought. _It just decided to let us live._

But she wouldn't tell him that. Anna was right; this man was hiding something other than his place of origin. She was starting to wonder whether he had exaggerated some of his accounts during his quest with the purpose of rallying more likeminded bloodthirsty men to hunt down the creature.

For now, she'd have to draw comfort from the fact that the children were safe and sound, although their parents would surely be scolding them at this very moment. She had not let the soldiers take them back home, instead doing it herself. Now she wondered what those parents would think of her. Would they think of her as the Queen who would not abandon two children to their own in the face of danger, or as the Queen who had let them stay with her during her little 'adventure' instead of immediately taking them back?

"That was the most stupid thing I've ever seen," Sigurd kept ranting. "A _Queen_! A Queen, of all people, thinking that she could do what my men haven't been able to!"

"I could've—"

"So, what? You think that because you and that spawn share the same abilities it wouldn't hurt you?"

"I don't need to explain myself to you or anyone else," she argued. "And neither am I here to please you of all people."

"You think I haven't met people who would defy my advice before?! I've seen lots of men die because of their recklessness, but never someone in such a position of authority! What kind of example do you think you can give your subjects when _you_ cannot bring yourself to obey your own decrees? Do you think you are above all that?"

"And who exactly do you think you are to speak to a Queen like that, Captain?" She was getting tired of this guy.

Sigurd began pacing again. "Had you been killed by the beast, this kingdom would've been left without Queen. Did that thought ever cross your mind?"

"I can take of myself. Just ask the two men from—" She was cut short by a sword almost slicing her neck.

"Yeah, I can see how well you'd fare in combat, _Your Majesty_," he spat. He sheathed his sword and began walking towards the exit, but just before he left, he warned, "The monster will return tomorrow night. If you can't stay here for your own good, I will most certainly not be there to save you."

Elsa watched him walk away, anger building up inside of her and manifesting like a flurry of snowflakes swirling around her. She closed her eyes. _Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel._

The snowstorm subdued, but it didn't make Elsa feel any better. If anything, it made her feel more frustrated. She hadn't had the need to use those words in a while, not since she'd learned to use love to control her powers. How could this man have such an effect on her?

She realized that she needed to focus herself in something else, something more productive. Like finding the creature.

She refused to call it a monster anymore. She knew what it was like to be called that. No, it was a creature with intelligence and a complete understanding of right and wrong. It had to have a soul. It had to be something else.

And it had to be hungry.

That gave her an idea. If food was what it was after, the food is what she'd get it.

But first, she needed a new plan.

* * *

**A/N: Before any of you ask, Elsa is definitely NOT going to fall in love with Sigurd. Just wanted to make that clear.**

**I hope you're all enjoying this story. Now I'm going to do something I haven't done before with my other fic: I'm writing here a reply for each review I've gotten so far.  
**

**_Jenson22:_ Thank you; as you can see, I'm trying my best to do so.  
_Megaphantom:_ Thanks!  
_RedApple435:_ I'm glad you like it; I just hope not to disappoint.  
_YouNameIt:_ Ehm... I don't know.  
_Guest:_ Sorry about last night's cliffy; I just had to do it.**

**Now, for those of you who haven't reviewed, I just want to say that while I'm not uploading this story to get praises from everyone, it is encouraging and helpful for me (and for every writer) whenever you say something. So, please, if you can leave a review, leave it. I'm trying hard to update every day or at least every two or three days, so please let me know that my work is not in vain.**

**And for those of you who are also following my other sci-fi fic (TFRR), I'm truly sorry that I haven't updated so far. I detailed the reasons for this in my SG-1 one-shot last Friday. And also, sorry for not replying to your reviews publicly; as you can see, the only reason why I'm actually updating this fic so regularly is because the chapters are _way_ shorter, and besides, by the time I finish writing a chapter for TFRR I'm already so eager to upload it that I don't give myself some time to reply. Still, I promise to leave a nice A/N for all of you when I finish writing it.**

**I guess that's it. I thank you in advance for your reviews! See you tomorrow!**


	4. Unexpected

_Great. This is starting to feel more like a prison. And it's not even of my own making._

Elsa watched the soldier standing guard right in front of her escape route. It wasn't part of her Royal Guard but of Sigurd's army. So it wasn't enough for him to just yell at her and walk around like he was the king; now he had also placed guards at every exit.

The sun had set an hour ago, which gave Elsa about two to three hours before the creature attacked again to find it. Speed was of the essence, and this minion was slowing her down. He was well aware of everything around him and wouldn't get distracted so easily, so Elsa would have to come up with some other way to get rid of him.

She smirked.

The thin mist that was starting to rise from the ground suddenly became too thick to make out any shape at all. The soldier couldn't see past his own nose, but he felt a presence and knew that there was someone else here. He unsheathed his sword and held it in a defensive position, looking one way then the other, until a hard object impacting on the back of his head knocked him out cold.

Literally. Elsa had hit him with an ice pan. She resisted the urge to laugh out loud. _Oh, dear cousin, how could you come up with such a great idea?_ Of course she knew the story of how her cousin Rapunzel and her husband Eugene had first met, and the part about the frying pan was her favorite. But never in her whole life had she imagined that she'd use the same method to knock out someone, albeit with a pan made out of ice. _Better than freezing this poor guy's heart, I guess._

She turned the ice pan into snow that fell to the ground, and after making sure that the soldier was still breathing and that she had caused no permanent damage, she set the man in such a way that it would appear like he had fallen asleep on the job, sitting in the ground with his knees pulled up to his chest and his arm hugging his bent legs. Then she left, hoping that no other soldier had seen her.

She reached the docks the same way she had the night before and, once certain that the children weren't around this time, she entered the warehouse and picked up one of the fish barrels from the cluster she had used as cover. _Funny_, she thought as she rolled the barrel all the way to where the smaller boats would be, _that Sigurd would go to such lengths to keep _me_ inside the castle but wouldn't risk sending his men outside the gates to defend the village._

Once at her intended destination, and using one of the boats as a template, she created a small ice sailboat with a single mast. Then, she tore a small piece of fabric from the bottom of her ice blue dress and attached it to the mast. She had mastered her little trick of creating any kind of dress with her ice powers, provided that there was at least a small cloth from which to do it, so it wasn't hard for her to create an entire sail out of the torn piece. She even took the time to replace the now missing piece from her dress. Finally, she placed the barrel in the boat and boarded it, and she conjured a gust of wind to hit the sail and propel the boat away from the fjord.

Hopefully, if anyone on the village or the castle walls had managed to see anything through the mist, they would blame the "monster".

* * *

The journey took a little over an hour. Elsa didn't venture into open seas; she kept sailing along the cliffs to her left, no less than a hundred feet from the shoreline. Her eyes were fixed on the massive walls of rock. This was where the creature had been heading the night before, and everyone in Arendelle knew about the large cave system that ran throughout these cliffs—a perfect place to hide from everyone, other than the mountains. There had to be an entrance to said system somewhere out here.

In any case, if she was unable to find the creature, she had a backup plan. She could wait for it back at the fjord and give it the food before it reached the village proper. She would have to catch its attention somehow, but…

No, she wouldn't. There, halfway to the top of the cliff, was what she was looking for.

The cave entrance.

She maneuvered her boat towards the shore. Finding it to be too narrow for anyone to walk on it, she froze some of the water around the boat into ice, which would not only provide her with a place to stand but also keep the boat in place and prevent it from being carried away by the waves until she returned. The cliff looked like an easy climb, but it would still take her a while to get up there. Thus, she came up with another idea. She picked the fish barrel from the boat and placed it on the ground next to her, and then she summoned a column of ice beneath her feet that rose quickly. In a matter of seconds, she had reached the entrance. The cave itself looked a bit dark but wide enough for her to move freely. She created a small sled in which to place the barrel, and making sure to leave a trail of ice in her wake to allow for the sled to slide easily as she pulled it, she ventured inside.

After a while, the cave became pitch black, the moonlight unable to reach this far into it. Elsa was starting to regret not bringing a lamp. She was forced to stop to allow her eyes to adjust to the dark. When she finally was able to distinguish the tunnel more clearly, she continued.

The cave was damp and cold, just not as chilly as it would probably be during the winter. For someone who wasn't bothered by the cold, Elsa couldn't help the goosebumps. It wasn't because of the cold itself as much as it was from knowing that she was walking into the creature's lair. She had been overly eager to find it, but now she feared that her enthusiasm would cost her life. The ice trail behind her became cracked and covered in frost, reflecting her fear. She stopped once more and began thinking about her kingdom, her subjects… her family.

_Anna._

She wasn't just doing this to satisfy her curiosity. She was doing it out of love, the love she had for all of those people. She _had_ to make sure the creature wouldn't hurt any of them if for some reason it decided to ignore its consciousness and let its instincts take over.

The ice trail became pristine again.

She moved on.

She wasn't sure of how long she'd walked or how much time had passed when she reached an intersection. Where to go now? Even though she knew she was no tracker like the village hunters, she tried to find something that could tell her which tunnel to follow—footprints, fur, scales, anything.

_Nothing._

She had two choices now: to wait here until the creature came out, or to pick one of the tunnels and risk it being the wrong one—in which case, she would be unable to get back to the other in time before the creature decided to go back to Arendelle. There had to be a way to at least choose less randomly, some clue to help her figure out—

A low, animalistic rumbling echoed throughout the tunnel to her left. Elsa's heart skipped a beat.

_Me and my big mouth_, she thought deep inside. There was no going back anymore. Now she knew where it was.

* * *

The chill was starting to become more familiar. It was an _icy_ chill.

The tunnel suddenly gave way to a large cavern completely covered in ice. It didn't look like her Palace at all. In fact, she could even deduce where the blasts of ice had hit before spreading to the rest of the walls from looking at the icicle clusters everywhere—much in the same way as her own ice had manifested on her coronation day. Aside from that, though, the place looked somewhat cozy, or at least less bleak than the rest of the cave system.

Elsa let go of the sled and moved cautiously inside. Despite the lack of elegance, it seemed like the place had an actual design to it. All but one of the other tunnels—the one she had just left—that led here were blocked by thick ice, probably with icicles shooting out on the other side. The ground was completely covered in snow, possibly to provide the creature with a white background to blend into. The ceiling was littered with stalactites of all sizes, some of them made out of rock, some others made out of ice, some _covered_ in ice, some of them moving—

_Wait, what?_

Her eyes weren't playing any tricks on her. There was something moving on the biggest ice stalactite, the one hanging in the middle of the cavern. It had to be the creature, though Elsa still couldn't make out an actual shape because of the shadows concealing it. It looked like it was sleeping, so she decided to leave the fish there and leave while it was still safe to go. But just as she turned around, she heard a growl and saw the faint glow of a pair of blue eyes reflecting off the ice-covered walls.

Before she could react, the creature had shot two blasts of ice at the tunnel entrance—one at the floor and another at the top of the threshold—sealing it for good. Then it leapt from the ceiling and landed with absolute grace in front of her, looking her over with a fierce expression.

Elsa would've been scared to death, had the shock of seeing it clearly for the first time not been too great for her to feel anything else. The eyes, the teeth, the wings… it all added up now quite unexpectedly. She had seen depictions of this kind of creature before in so many of the books she used to read as a child. Whether this was indeed a cursed person or an actual animal, she now knew something for a fact. It _wasn't_ some sort of deform being or hybrid at all.

It was a dragon.

* * *

**A/N: It's a short chapter, I know. You'll have to forgive me, but I still have a lot of homework to do and I still wanted to update today. Next chapter could be a bit short too, but it will be online tomorrow... unlike the chapters after that, which will take me longer to write and upload. Come to think of it, enjoy these regular updates 'cause they won't last much longer.**

**_Jenson22:_ I know, and thank you. Hiccup won't appear until after another ten or so chapters, but I agree, it will be interesting to watch.  
_RedApple435: _Thanks!  
_YouNameIt:_ Ehm... maybe to all of your questions. Don't worry, you'll know soon enough ;).**

**Don't forget to review on your way out!**


	5. The White Dragon

Sigurd could be really hateful, but Elsa had to give him credit for correctly deducing so much about the creature. It _did_ have white skin, as white as snow. It _was_ smart, as evidenced by this lair. And it _did_ shoot ice at its victims, namely from its mouth. The only thing he couldn't have imagined was that it was a dragon. But how could he? How could _anyone_, for that matter? Dragons had been extinct for hundreds of years, eradicated by the dragon-slayers of old.

And yet, she was staring into the eyes of one.

Walking on all fours with its back arched, its height was about the same as Elsa's, if not even a bit taller. She could only imagine how much bigger it would look like if it stood again on two legs. From head to tail—long and ending in two fins—it had a length of no less than 20 feet, and judging from that split-second in which she had seen it with its bat-like wings extended, they had to be really huge. Perhaps it was not as large as those she had seen in her books, but it was imposing regardless.

Elsa raised her hands, palms open and facing forward, as if to say _'I mean you no harm; please, don't kill me'_. But the dragon must've thought the opposite of her intended message because it roared angrily at her. This was its domain, and right now, she was an invader, a threat—one that had to be eliminated. It breathed deeply and then exhaled a blast of ice at her just as fast as it had shot the first two at the tunnel. Elsa shielded her face and closed her eyes…

…and when she opened them again, she found that a ball of ice about the size of her head was floating harmlessly a few inches away from her hands. And she could feel it, not with her skin but with her mind, much in the same way as she could feel the ice of her Palace.

A grin appeared on her face.

With a wave of her hands, she turned the ice ball into snow and spread it all around her. The dragon looked shocked by this for a moment, but it quickly recovered from it and shot another blast… and another… and another.

This time, however, knowing now that she _could_ control the dragon's ice, Elsa simply flicked her left hand then her right, deflecting the first two shots with ease and causing them to impact on the ice-covered rock walls behind her, and then she used both hands to stop the third short, holding it midair without even touching it.

_And you thought that I'd be defenseless against an ice-breathing monster, Sigurd._

The dragon opened its maw again, but nothing came out. Its eyes instantly became filled with fear and dread. It crouched down to ground level and backed against the wall. So Sigurd had also been right about the beast not being able to make too much ice at a time, but surely it could still use its claws and teeth to fight. This could only mean that it had realized how formidable an enemy Elsa and her superior ice powers could be and thought that its days were numbered. She could almost read its pleas for mercy in its eyes before it closed them and waited for the end to come.

_That's also why _I_ had to be the one to find it and not Sigurd. _He_ would've killed it on sight without a second thought._

Elsa looked at the ice ball hovering between her hands. She sensed that it was denser than it should be. This small sphere was actually made up of hyper-compressed semi-frozen water, only its outer shell hard enough to endure for a while and with small pockets of equally compressed air scattered everywhere inside of it. That's why there were so few impact marks on the walls; a single one of these packed more ice than she thought possible. Maybe even enough to…

_Do you wanna build a snowman?_

An idea popped into her mind.

She gently placed the ice ball on the ground in front of her and then, waving her hands again, she turned the ice blocking her exit into frost. She attracted it to her across the air and used it to make a life-size frost figure of the dragon, starting with the tail and then the belly and the legs. She tried to make it as accurate as it was possible in an environment with zero visibility, but she believed that the proportions and shape were just about right.

The frost she had first conjured from the dragon's ice ran out before she could complete the figure, which was still missing the wings and the head, but she'd already considered that. She turned her attention back to the sphere at her feet. She began uncompressing the ice shell and semi-solid contents, turning it into a stream of frost and adding it to her artwork. She completed the wings in seconds and still had enough ice to build the head. As she did, she thought of Anna. She would be enjoying herself if she were here helping her build this 'snowman'… if there were not an actual dragon only a few feet away from her.

All the while, the dragon had kept its eyes shut, but now it was opening them again… and the fearful expression in them became one of curiosity and wonder when it saw what Elsa was working on. She finished piling up the frost and stepped back to contemplate her work, noticing out the corner of her eye that the dragon was slowly approaching, head tilted to its side and eyes opened wide. Once satisfied, she touched the figure with the tip of her fingers.

With a beautiful display of light and swirling snowflakes, the frost figure became a well-defined ice statue.

The dragon recoiled at the sight of this, but only for a moment. Then, it growled at the statue a few times, baring its teeth and narrowing its eyes. When it saw that the statue wasn't moving an inch, it relaxed and approached it slowly and less menacingly. Elsa imagined it would be thinking that it was looking at its own reflection in a mirror. As the dragon circled left of the statue, still perplexed by it, she stepped to the right of it. She wasn't finished yet.

Using her own winter magic now, she conjured out of thin air another two smaller frost figures in front of the dragon statue and repeated the process of turning them into ice with her touch—revealing them to be statues of the children that had been with her the night before. The statue of Kat was reaching to the dragon statue the same way as the real Kat had done.

The dragon stared at the two new ice figures then at Elsa, and she saw realization in its eyes. It remembered her.

"I'm not here to harm you," Elsa said out loud, her arms lowered this time. Kat had talked to the dragon the first time, and it had worked, so she hoped that it would now.

It did. The dragon tilted its head again before looking at the ice children, humming softly. Elsa began walking backwards ever so slowly towards the tunnel. When she reached it, she thawed half of the sled in such a way that the other half would become a sort of small ramp for the barrel to slide open.

As soon as its contents spilled on the ground, the dragon shifted its attention to them. It sniffed the air and smacked its lips. Elsa retreated back into the tunnel, and after a few minutes, she turned around and ran back the way she'd come.

Her heart was beating furiously by the time she reached the exit. She was excited, a bit nervous, amazed, elated, and on the verge of tears, all at the same time. She'd had an encounter with a dragon and survived! She didn't realize that she had a huge smile on her face until her muscles ached from it, and then she burst out laughing. _I had an encounter with a living, breathing dragon and survived! Oh, nobody's going to believe this!_

She stepped on the ice column and shrank it all the way to the ground. She boarded her boat and thawed the ice around it, and then she steered it away from the shore, heading back to Arendelle. But as the small ship moved away from the cliffs, she couldn't help looking back just one more time.

From the cave entrance, the dragon was watching her sail away.

* * *

The next morning, the people of Arendelle woke up to a cloudy sky that promised more rain—or more snow. Sigurd had taken his men outside the castle walls and to the small plaza by the docks at dawn, hoping to find a trail of torn baskets and broken crates and barrels to lead them to the monster, but aside from the one missing barrel of fish from one of the warehouses, they obviously found nothing. He returned to the castle frustrated, yammering about this being the first time that the beast didn't leave a mess behind and that unless it did during one of its next strikes, it would take them no less than another month to track it to the next village.

Elsa was having the time of her life seeing Sigurd's crestfallen expression. She wanted to mock him, and part of her even wanted to brag about her achievement, but she managed to keep an impassive countenance, and she said nothing to no one. She had been fortunate enough that the soldier she'd left unconscious was still 'sleeping' when she got back from the caves. She had been even luckier that he hadn't known what had hit him and that nobody believed his claim that it had been the monster, as he had been found lying on the floor, 'sleeping'. She'd also been careful enough to undo her ice boat, though she had kept the sail with her. There was no need to push her luck any further.

Yet another part of her wanted so badly to tell Anna the truth so that they could both laugh together about it, but she didn't want to involve her in her little scheme. Especially because she had decided to continue carrying it out.

Judging from the dragon's behavior during her visit, she had come to the conclusion that it was not a cursed person after all but simply an animal. A highly intelligent animal, but an animal regardless. And she would help it, just like the children had said. She would have to come up with another way to escape the castle every night without having to hit any more guards, but she was determined to do this. She would protect it from any harm and keep it safe no matter what.

Because somehow, she could see something of her old self, solitary and fearful, in its eyes.

And because for all she knew, this could be the last dragon alive.

* * *

**A/N: In case the description wasn't accurate enough, yeah, that was a white Night Fury. You didn't really think I'd just chosen the name "Ice Fury" because Elsa would be making a lot of ice, did you? ;)**

**Sorry for the delay. I actually had this ready to upload yesterday night, but since I'm updating both this and the Spanish version at the same time and I still had to translate it, well... better late than never, eh?  
**

_**Jenson22:**_** Yeah, I'm afraid so, that was the idea from the very beginning. Still, I hope you'll like it 'cause along with the introduction of this Ice Fury, I'll be explaining my own idea of why Furies are so rare to find in future chapters.**

**Next chapter will not be online until Wednesday night _if_ everything goes according to plan. Until then...**

**Don't forget to review on your way out!**


	6. A Unique Bond

"Hello? Are you here?"

There was no reply.

_Right, because animals don't speak. What was I thinking?_

Elsa walked into the icy den and looked up. The dragon wasn't in the ceiling. It wasn't anywhere, in fact, so she decided to just leave the fish at the back of the cavern and return home early. Hopefully, the dragon would not be at Arendelle right now and would soon return safe and sound from whatever it was that it was doing.

The weather was favoring the dragon, indeed. For three days straight, rain clouds had covered Arendelle, soaking the ground for a while before the raindrops became snowflakes. After that, the sun hadn't come up in the last couple of days, allowing for the snow to last longer—and for the "monster" to raid the town every night. Five fish barrels had disappeared without a trace so far, infuriating Sigurd to the point where Elsa wondered if his face could get any redder.

She and Anna laughed about it whenever the latter came to her room, which was every afternoon. Then, they would talk about the delayed celebration and other affairs concerning the kingdom—usually the less boring, as Anna was fond of saying. But when night came, Elsa would tell her that she was going to bed early and ask her to leave and get some sleep too. She hated keeping secrets from her, but it was for her own safety. That way, if Sigurd questioned her, she wouldn't have to lie about what Elsa was really doing. And heaven knew Anna was a terrible liar.

Her escape route had changed slightly. Instead of using one of the guarded back doors on the wall, and taking advantage of the thick mist, she would find an unguarded spot and conjure a mound of snow beneath her feet for her to climb the wall and drop down the other side, breaking her fall with yet another mound of snow. From there, the rest had become a routine: walk on the water to the docks, pick a fish barrel, make her sailboat and add the sail she'd kept from the first boat, travel back to the caves, deliver the fish, return to Arendelle.

The dragon was always on its cavern deep inside the cave system, and it would usually just ignore Elsa once she spilled the fish on the ground at the back of the lair, which allowed her to slip away unnoticed. _Without the dragon here today, things should be a lot easier_, Elsa thought as she turned the barrel over and dropped the fish. But then, she heard a soft gurgle behind her and realized that it had never left.

She turned around. There it was, standing next to the ice statues, between her and the exit. It was looking fixedly at her, from top to bottom. She didn't move, waiting for the dragon to do it first. And when it finally did, she almost wished it hadn't. It stood on two feet and inhaled deeply, getting ready to shoot its ice.

_Here we go again._

But the dragon didn't attack her. Instead, it thrust its head forward in such a way that its maw was aiming at the ground and exhaled an intermittent stream of frost, slowly building up a pillar. Elsa noticed that the pillar had a shape to it, though she couldn't make it out until the dragon finished making it. Then she realized that it looked… human.

The dragon rested again on all fours and started to scrape off some of the frost with its claws, further shaping the figure. Once it finished, it nodded in approval of its own masterpiece and touched the figure gently with its right paw. Needless to say, nothing happened. And yet, the dragon seemed aware that nothing _would_ happen, for it looked again at Elsa as it placed its paw again on the figure.

Elsa understood what it was trying to tell her. She approached slowly and extended her hand, nodding slowly to ask for the dragon's permission. It didn't nod back or make any gesture of any kind; it just looked at her.

"Okay, if you insist," Elsa sighed. She touched the pillar which turned into ice.

Her jaw dropped. _Did it just make a figure of _me_?_

The dragon crooned in excitement and wagged its tail. It looked proud of its handiwork. Elsa, on the other hand, just analyzed the figure. She was astounded; it wasn't as detailed as her own statues, especially the face, but it was close enough. The braid was there, sort of. The hands were placed in front of it, one on top of the other, at waist level. The dress didn't have the same intricate design as hers, but it still looked like an actual garment. Overall, it was an impressive masterpiece, for an animal. Had it made it out of competitiveness or as a way to say that it knew that they shared similar abilities? Whatever the reason, it brought a wide smile to her face.

"It's beautiful," she complimented.

What happened next was something she wouldn't have expected in a million years. The dragon tilted its head to the side, frowning as it looked again at Elsa, before peeling back its lips in a way so characteristic that it was impossible to be mistaken for something else.

It was smiling back.

Elsa wondered if this dragon could amaze her any more. First, it had observed her and made as accurate a replica of her as an animal could make, and now, it was mimicking her gesture. And by the way, where did the teeth go? She knew for a fact that it had teeth. Her astonishment, however, didn't let her worry about that little thing. She shook her head in disbelief… and felt compelled to do something absolutely crazy.

"Why would people have wanted to kill so many of you in the past?" she questioned, lifting her hand towards the dragon's face.

The dragon's smile disappeared rather drastically and was replaced by a terrified look and frantic growling as it recoiled away from Elsa before she could even touch it.

"No, no, no! Relax, I won't hurt you," Elsa said, lowering her hand slightly. The dragon looked frantically at the ice statues then at her, and it dawned on her that it could be thinking that she would freeze whatever she touched. "Oh, no, don't worry. I wouldn't freeze you. I mean, I would've a year ago, but not now." _Okay, maybe I shouldn't have said that last part._

The dragon was still keeping its distance, so Elsa began looking around for something to grab and prove her point. "Ah! Here, look," she said, picking up one of the fish and holding it in both hands. It didn't freeze, despite the fact that she held it for several minutes.

And still the dragon stayed away from her.

Dismayed, Elsa threw the fish away. "That's fine. I imagine you're not too trustful of us humans, are you?" She sat down on the ground with her back against the wall, just a few feet away from the fish. Snow began falling inside the cavern. She felt sad, depressed, and with a heavy heart, but why? Why was she feeling like this just because the dragon hadn't trusted her enough to let her touch it? She shouldn't have expected more from an animal, no matter how smart it was.

But maybe it had nothing to do with her expectations of it. Maybe it had to do with the feelings that the dragon's look had stirred within her—those familiar feelings she'd thought were long gone by now but which had never really left.

_Loneliness. Guilt._

"This takes me back, you know?" she thought out loud. "That look on your face? I saw it in everyone's faces on my coronation day a year ago, when the secret of my powers became known. You see, I'd tried to keep them concealed for most of my life, but that night I just… I lost control. Everyone was scared of me. This man even called me a sorceress and a monster." The image was still fresh in her mind—how she hadn't meant to shoot ice at the Duke of Weselton but she hadn't been able to stop it from happening anyway. It was a miracle he was still alive today. "So I ran away. Away from people, away from the world… from _everything_. I ended up in the North Mountain and built for myself a place of isolation where I could be who I was—who I am—without hurting anybody. Or, so I thought."

She scoffed to herself. She should've known better back then. "Then my younger sister, Anna, showed up there. She wasn't afraid of me. In spite of what she'd seen I could do, she was _not_ afraid of me. She had come for me, to take me back home with her, saying that we could be close again just like we used to be so long ago." She sighed. "Poor Anna. It's been a year since that and almost fifteen since I shut her out, and I still can't imagine how hard it must've been for her, always wondering why we drifted apart all of sudden."

Elsa was no longer paying attention to the dragon's actions. She just wanted to get rid of what had been eating her away for so long. "To this day, she still believes she first learned of my powers a year ago. But she can never know the truth. Only my parents and I knew the secret, and now that they're gone…" Her parents. Her only source of comfort during all those years of isolation in her room, and even then, she couldn't bring herself to hug them after that ill-fated night out of fear that she would hurt them. What she wouldn't give to be held in their arms just one more time. "I have never told a living soul, but since you can't really say a word to anyone, I might as well tell you."

She took a deep breath to contain the sobs that were starting to build up in her throat. "I hit her with my powers accidentally when we were kids. I'd made a sort of winter wonderland in the throne room for us to play in it, and we were having a wonderful time together. She loved my powers and what I could do with them. Come to think of it, I didn't know fear back then. I was happy. But then things started to get out of control and… I slipped in my own ice and thought I would be unable to break her fall and…"

She had to pause. The memory was still too painful. "My parents had to take her to the trolls to save her, but in order to do so, the Troll King had to remove not only the magic from her head but also the memories of magic."

Elsa couldn't hold back the tears anymore. Oh, how she would've loved to grow up beside her sister, to go out and play with her each time she came to knock on her door, to build her an army of snowmen each winter! If only she had known back than that the key to controlling her powers was love…

"Anyway," she continued, wiping the tears away, "she showed up at my Ice Palace and tried to convince me to return to Arendelle. And that's when I learned that I had unleashed an eternal winter everywhere. The shock and the fear made me lose control, and I hit Anna with my powers again. Only this time, it wasn't her head that I froze but her heart." She shook her head. "I'd tried so hard and for so long to keep her safe from me, but in the end it didn't work. And yet, when she saw me in danger, she used her last breath to sacrifice herself for me. And _then_ it turned out that her sacrifice saved both of us! Can you believe it? Because an act of true love will thaw a frozen heart."

The snow stopped falling. Tears were clouding Elsa's vision again, though these were tears of joy and happiness and relief. She felt like an enormous weight had been lifted off her shoulders. _Yeah, I definitely needed to let _that_ go._ But why now? She could've gotten all of it off her chest anytime, without a need to be heard by anyone.

She chuckled. There _was_ a reason for this timing. "I guess the point I'm trying to make here is that I understand why you'd rather be alone and avoid contact with the rest of the world. In a way, I think you and I aren't that different from each other. You've chosen isolation because you fear people might hurt you. I chose isolation because I feared _hurting_ people. But in the end, isolation is not the ultimate answer. Don't get me wrong, it's not that bad to be alone sometimes, but what we all really need is love and friendship, someone to thaw our hearts whenever they get frozen. I owe Anna so much. Had it not been for her, I would've never learned how to control my powers, and I would still be alone… or maybe even dead."

She stared at the ceiling, exhausted from this sudden outburst of emotion. Slowly, her eyelids shut and she drifted off…

…until a sudden puff to her face woke her up.

She opened her eyes and saw the dragon's face mere inches from her own. Its eyes no longer shone with fear but with empathy. Was this a sign of trust? Was the dragon willing to let her touch it? Had Elsa gotten through to it? Instinctively, she raised her hand close to the dragon's nose, and this time it didn't flinch. It just closed its eyes in anticipation.

She touched it.

Its scaly skin was cold and surprisingly smooth. She closed her eyes and enjoyed this amazing experience with every fiber of her being. She felt a unique bond with this dragon somehow, and she liked to think that the dragon felt it too.

It eventually stepped back, and Elsa opened her eyes to find that it was smiling again at her. Then, it turned its attention back to the fish. It ate a couple of them before lying down on the floor, getting ready to sleep. It gestured at Elsa with its head, beckoning her to come closer. And she did, without hesitation. She sat next to the dragon and rested her head on its chest. The dragon then covered her up with its tail, as if to keep her safe from the cold of its den.

"Oh, thank you, but that's not necessary," Elsa said, yawning. "The cold doesn't bother me. That's something else I believe we have in common.

* * *

Elsa woke up with no idea of how much time had passed. It could've been an hour; it could've been a day. There was no way to tell from inside here. She stretched her arms and legs and stood up, watching the sleeping dragon and listening to its deep, steady breath. Such a wonderful creature.

She walked all the way back to the cave entrance in the cliff. Once there, she searched for the sun in the now cloudless sky and was startled to find that it was already setting on the horizon. Anna would surely be freaking out by now, wondering where her sister could've gone. Elsa could only hope that Anna would come to the conclusion that she had gone visiting Marshmallow at the Ice Palace. As for Sigurd… frankly, she didn't care an iota what he'd say.

A soft crooning behind her made her lose her train of thought. The dragon was approaching her. "Hey girl," she said, turning back. "Sleep well?"

The dragon growled softly in reply.

Yeah, Elsa had decided that this was a girl dragon. It behaved a lot like a female, in her opinion—strong yet noble, a bit playful perhaps, and definitely less brutish than a male would probably be. She could be wrong, of course; this could be the dragon's normal behavior regardless of gender. Still, she liked to entertain the thought that this particular dragon was like a young girl, much like Anna… and much like her, when she was a lot younger.

"I'd really love to stay here with you a while longer, but I need to check up on Anna, if only to make sure she hasn't had a nervous breakdown." She began walking towards the ice column, but then she had another crazy idea. "I don't suppose you could fly me back to Arendelle, could you?"

If Elsa had still had any doubts that this creature could surprise her any more, they vanished when she looked at it again. At the sole mention of flight, the dragon had retreated back into the cave, fearfully looking up to the sky.

"Wait," Elsa said, still not believing what her eyes were seeing. "You don't fly?"

Again, the word made the dragon get nervous. It ran back to its cavern, leaving Elsa speechless.

_This dragon doesn't fly. Why doesn't it fly?_

* * *

The door to Elsa's room opened slowly. Anna instantly diverted her attention from the now empty courtyard and looked back to see her sister tiptoe inside. And before the door had closed and Elsa could react, Anna had rushed to squeeze her sister, glad to see her alive and well."

"Elsa, you're okay!" she breathed in relief. "I knew you were okay. Are you okay?"

"I would be if you'd just let me breathe," Elsa replied hoarsely.

"Oh, sorry," Anna said with an apologetic smile, letting go of her. Elsa sucked in air a couple of times. "Sigurd said you had ignored the curfew again and that the monster had caught you. I knew he couldn't be right, but when you didn't show up I feared he _could_ be right."

"What? Anna—" she vaguely heard Elsa say.

"I mean, you could've gone to your Ice Palace for all I knew, but what if the monster had attacked you on your way there."

"Anna—"

"And yeah, you could've used your powers to stop it. You know the saying, fight fire with fire, only you'd be fighting ice with ice. But maybe it had overpowered you and taken you—"

"Anna!" Elsa exclaimed, and Anna realized that she had started talking real fast… again. She shrugged and smiled apologetically once more. "Where are Sigurd and his men?"

"Oh, right. They left over two hours ago to search for the monster and bring you back. Where were you anyway?"

"Hold on," Elsa said, not having heard Anna's question or simply ignoring it. "They've been sitting on their hands for over a week, waiting for the… 'monster' to leave any kind of trail for them to follow, and now they suddenly change their minds and decide to hunt it down?"

"Well, he caused a bit of a stir among the townspeople with his allegation that the Queen had been abducted by the beast. They kind of forced him to go search for you afterwards."

"And what's their plan, to leave no stone unturned in Arendelle until they find it? It will flee before they can even get close to it."

"Oh, don't worry about that. Some of our guards offered to guide them to the caves. Sigurd was actually irked to learn about them until now. Anyway, I'm sure they'll find it there. Now, where did you go last night?"

Elsa's face became pale. "They're going to the caves?"

"Yes, where else in Arendelle could it be hiding? Are you going to tell me where you went?" Elsa didn't reply. She seemed in shock. "Oh, wait. Elsa, you're not still worried that it might be a cursed person, are you? We talked about this the other day, it's not a person. At least I don't think it's a person. Whatever that monster is—"

"It's not a monster, Anna, it's a dragon!" Elsa shouted on the verge of desperation.

For once, Anna was lost for words. Elsa began pacing around the room while she tried to make sense of what her older sister had just told her. _A dragon?!_

"Elsa, listen to yourself," she said eventually. "Dragons are just myths. How can you say such a silly thing?" Elsa didn't reply, but she looked hurt by the question, and Anna knew that this was neither a joke nor an invention. So either Elsa was going crazy, or… "You found it, didn't you?" she asked, more a statement than a question.

"Yes, Anna, I found it," Elsa finally said.

"And why didn't you tell me?"

Elsa sighed, frustrated. "Because I wanted to protect you."

"Protect me from what?" Anna questioned her, raising an eyebrow.

"You were right, Anna. I too feel like Sigurd is hiding something big. This is more than just an obsession to kill a monster and avenge his people as he claims. I think this curfew is not really about protecting people but keeping them from learning what I learned."

"Okay, just stop right there. Are you saying that it knows what the monster—the dragon really is?"

"I don't know. But the truth is, I found it first, and he nearly killed me for it. I know he would've slit my throat that night if he had the choice. I didn't want to involve you in all this because if he even suspects that you know something, he could use you against me, and if he did…"

_If he did, Elsa could decide to forget about everything and use her powers to stop him at all costs_, Anna completed the idea in her mind. She nodded in understanding.

Elsa walked up to the window and looked outside. She shook her head. "It might be the only way now, though," she said almost imperceptibly.

"Elsa?" Anna approached her slowly.

"I'm sorry, Anna. But I can't let Sigurd kill her."

"Her?" Anna repeated.

"The dragon," Elsa said, turning around to look at Anna. "I'm afraid I _will_ need your help if I am to save it."

Anna didn't know what to reply. She would've gone to the end of the world for her, but this was different. She wouldn't help her sister get killed to save an animal—if it even was what Elsa said it was. What if she had hallucinated or imagined it?

"Anna, do you trust me?" Elsa asked. There was no shadow of doubt in her face. She had found a dragon, and she was determined to save it for some reason. Anna had to believe in her.

"With my life, Elsa."

"Then listen carefully."

* * *

**A/N: So, as you can see, everything went as planned. Longest chapter so far, but I still managed to upload it today! I hope you all enjoyed it.**

**Now, let's get to the good news/bad news part. The bad news is, I won't be able to update until ****maybe on Monday or Tuesday** next week. The good news is, I'm preparing something very special for Chapter 7, which is also why it will take me so long to upload it.

**_Jenson22:_ Thank you! I'm glad you liked it, and don't worry, I will.  
_RedApple435:_ Thanks!  
_Sorceric7:_ No, not really, though I must admit that the Bewilderbeast's icy breath was what inspired me to write this fic. Long story.  
_UnknownBlackHand:_ Wow, I think yours is the first review ever to mention anything about my grammar, and by that I mean _ever_. Thank you for your compliments on both that and the story itself, and thanks also for the suggestion. I actually have a nice explanation as to why this dragon breathes ice, but it****'ll** be a few chapters before we get to that.  
_White Hunter:_ Yes she has. I'm glad you like it, and I hope you liked this chapter.  


**I'll see you next week. Until then...**

**Don't forget to review on your way out!**


	7. Let It Go

Anna kept fiddling and breathing heavily as the sled glided across the snow-covered road. _I can do this_, she repeated in her mind. _I can do this, I can do this…_

"I can't do this," she admitted out loud, burying her face in her hands.

"Of course you can," Kristoff reassured her. "I've seen you do crazier things before."

"Mention but one," she replied, her voice muffled.

"Just one?" he teased her. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"Fine, make that three."

"Oh, well, thank you! I thought you'd make things harder for me." He started counting with one hand while holding the reins with the other. "You nearly married a lunatic usurper, you went to search for your sister all by yourself, you jumped over a chasm on Sven's back not far from here, you tried to climb a rock wall on your own… Aw, nuts, I ran out of fingers. Olaf, wanna lend me a hand?"

"Sure, here you go," Olaf replied from behind the back of the sled, detaching one of his stick arms from his body and lifting up with the other.

"Thanks. Where was I?"

"The rock wall," Olaf said.

"Right. You outwitted a gigantic snowman, you dropped down a cliff, you went out during a blizzard to find me, and you got between the aforementioned lunatic usurper and your sister to save her. Huh, that's three times what you asked for, and that's just what you did in the first few days I met you. Want me to continue with some of the things you've done since?"

In spite of herself, Anna smiled and giggled a bit. "No, thank you. I think that's enough."

Kristoff placed his arm around her waist and drew her closer. "Don't you worry, Anna. You'll do just fine."

"Yeah, how hard can it be to convince that guy Sigurd that you want to help him look for Elsa?" Olaf said as cheerfully as ever.

That brought back the nerves. Elsa had asked Anna to delay Sigurd and his men while she hurried back to the caves in that neat ice sailboat she'd made out of nowhere. Not an easy task for Anna, since she wasn't used to lying. She'd always say something unconsciously that would give her away whenever she tried. It simply wasn't part of her nature.

But now there were two lives that were depending on how good a show she could put on. Her plan was to join Sigurd as he and his men searched inside the caves, and once there she'd find a way to distract or even mislead them. Anna took a deep breath. _Olaf's right. How hard can it be?_

"There they are," Kristoff said, pointing to the right at a number of lights among the trees. There was no room for the sled in the woods, so he decided to leave it on the road. Kristoff grabbed the lamp and released Sven from the sled while Anna stepped out of it and approached the snowman sitting on the back.

"Olaf, I need you to stay here," she told him.

"Why?" he replied, the slightest hint of disappointment in his face.

"Look, I appreciate your coming with me, but I'm afraid you might be… sort of a… distraction," Anna stuttered.

"Isn't that the idea, to distract them?"

"Yeah, but…" She sighed. "Those soldiers haven't seen you before, and to be honest, seeing a talking snowman for the first time is kind of… shocking. Like, remember when we first met?"

Olaf nodded. Of course he had to remember; Anna had literally knocked his head off. How could anyone forget _that_?

"Tell you what. If I can't delay them long enough, I'll call out for you so you can blow everyone away, deal?"

"Deal," he replied with a thumbs-up. Anyone else would've probably been upset, but not him. His childish smile was back, and as Anna turned around to leave, he said, "Hey, how about a warm hug to lift your spirits?"

Anna chuckled and hugged him. "Thank you, Olaf."

"You'll be fine, Anna," he told her.

"Yeah. That's what Elsa kept saying before she left."

"See? Nothing to worry about. Cheer up!"

Anna nodded and let go of him to follow Kristoff and Sven into the woods. It wasn't long before she heard shouting in the distance, as well as a loud thumping and the sound of glass shattering.

"Well done, men. Now gather your weapons and be ready!" That was Sigurd. He barked more orders, indicating who would stay at the cave entrance and who would follow him into the cave itself. Anna picked up her pace.

"Captain Sigurd!" she called out once she was close enough for him and everyone else to hear. There was no reply, but she noticed that all movement had stopped, so they _must've_ heard her. "Captain Sigurd!" she called again.

"Who's there?" she heard him say. Several soldiers raised their weapons, aiming in the direction of Kristoff's lamp, until it became clear who it was.

She then heard the soldiers whisper among themselves—whispers along the lines of "It's the Princess!" and "What is she doing here?" They made way for her and her small entourage, and as she advanced, she caught a glimpse of the large chunks of broken ice at the entrance. So what she'd heard was the sound of ice, not glass, breaking apart. This must've been an ice wall or something similar sealing off the caves. Until now.

"Well, well, to what do we owe the honor of your presence, Princess?" Sigurd said. The sarcasm in his voice was not lost on Anna.

She gathered her courage and replied, "We've come to help."

The murmur increased. Sigurd raised an eyebrow. "Help?"

"To find my sister," she said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Sigurd scoffed. "You cannot be serious."

"Does it look like I'm joking to you?"

Sigurd shook his head. "I don't have time for this."

"Neither do I. So, what can I do?"

"Princess, this is not child's play. This is a real monster we're hunting, not a fluffy little bunny."

Anna didn't have to feign offense as part of her act. "Do you really think I'm a soft-handed, fussy, weak little princess? I am a quite capable—"

"Can you lift a sword?"

The question made Anna hesitate for a second. "Well, it's not like I couldn't if I tried. I just never have—"

"How about a crossbow, then? Can you fire one of those?"

"What? No, but—"

"I suppose you could at least hold a spear."

"I-I—that's not the point."

"Oh, I believe it is, _Princess_," he stressed her royal title, "because if you—if any of you—cannot wield any kind of weapon, then all you're good for is as cannon fodder, just like your sister."

That struck a chord. "Excuse me? How dare you speak of Elsa like that? She's the Queen, and you are here to rescue her!"

Sigurd sighed and leaned closer to Anna's face. "I came to these caves only because your loyal subjects asked me to, but if I may be blunt, I'm afraid all we're going to find is your sister's cold corpse and a monster to kill for it. If it were up to me, I would gladly let you join her in the afterlife, but I don't think your people would let me walk out of here alive if I did."

For some reason, and even though Anna knew better, the way in which Sigurd spoke of her sister made her feel a terrible anguish and dread, worse even than what she felt when Hans was about to kill Elsa. It almost made her believe that she was truly gone.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, Princess," Sigurd said, walking away and barking orders to his men again.

Anna clenched her fists, rage coursing through her veins. Kristoff seemed to notice and placed a hand on her shoulder. He said something, but she didn't pay attention. She shook herself loose from Kristoff's hand and walked towards Sigurd.

"No, you'll listen to me, Sideburns!" she said, grabbing Sigurd's arm and forcing him to turn around. "You don't tell me what I can or can't do, and you don't say that my sister is dead!"

Sigurd's shock only lasted a second. "What did you call—"

"My sister is still alive, and I'm going to find her with or without your help!" Anna yelled, not willing to let Sigurd say another word until he'd listened what she had to say. "I am _not_ losing her again. I've had enough of that already."

"Anna…" Kristoff began.

"No!" she snapped. Tears of rage and despair began rolling down her face. "It's my fault she's out here. I should've seen the signs. She'd been acting different and I didn't pay enough attention to it. I've been slowly losing her in the last few days without even noticing. If I had just…" The sobs were threatening to cut her off, but she managed to get a hold of herself. "I've lost her twice before. I'm _not_ losing her again. So I don't care what you say or think because, ultimately, this is _our_ kingdom—my sister's and mine—and you don't have a say in this. You think I'm not capable? Deal with it."

Her face was red and her eyes watery, though she fought the tears hard. She held her stare at Sigurd and was vaguely aware that the rest of his men and the Royal Guards were not moving. It wasn't hard to imagine why; it's not every day that you see a princess lose all self-control like that, not even in Arendelle.

Sigurd, however, only rolled his eyes. "I guess it runs in the family," she heard him mutter. Then, he said, "Princess, I understand your reasons, but my answer is still no. And since you leave me no other choice…"

He beckoned the Royal Guards, and when they approached mounted on their horses, he told them, "I know you are bound by oath to protect the Royal Family at all costs, so tell me: Would you be willing to let your Princess get herself killed, leaving this kingdom without anyone to rule it?"

The guards looked at Anna then at Sigurd. They all replied, "No."

"Then would you be so kind as to escort Her Majesty back to the castle?"

"Are you sure, Captain?" the leader of the guards said. "Those caves are like a maze and—"

"Don't worry about us. We have all the time in the world. That monster is not going anywhere; it's trapped."

_Not for long, Sideburns_, Anna thought.

The horse guards nodded and made a half-circle around Anna and between her and Sigurd. She looked resentfully at them but finally relented, turning around and walking away from the cave entrance, with Kristoff and Sven by her side and the guards trailing closely behind. When they reached the sled, Kristoff tied it again to his faithful reindeer friend and hopped inside. Anna followed him, discreetly making sure that Olaf was still hidden beneath the blankets on the back. The guards surrounded the sled, and then they all headed back to Arendelle.

At least that's what Sigurd would believe now.

When they were a good distance away, Anna told Kristoff to stop the sled. He complied without a question, and the guards were forced to stop as well. Then she called for the leader of the guards and said to him, "Return to the castle. We'll join you later, but first I need to go elsewhere."

"But Captain Sigurd—" the guard began.

"You answer to me and to the Queen, not to that buffoon," she said as authoritatively as she could.

"Yes, Your Highness," the guard replied. "But if I may be so bold, where will you go to?"

Anna took a deep breath. "I need to believe that my sister is still alive, so I must believe that she's _not_ in that cave. And that only leaves one other place where she could be."

The guards nodded in understanding and obeyed. Once they were gone, Kristoff began to chuckle. "Anna, that was perfect! I knew you could do it. Oh, what an act!"

Anna didn't smile, though. "It wasn't an act," she said. And with that, she let the tears flow again.

"Oh, Anna," Kristoff said, hugging her. He didn't say anything else; he just held her in his arms.

"I know it's silly, but I do feel like I'm losing Elsa all over again. And I understand her reasons for keeping the secret, I really do. But it still feels like when I thought…"

She couldn't continue. She just cried in Kristoff's shoulder for heaven knew how long. Suddenly, she felt a pair of stick arms hugging her gently by the neck, and she couldn't help the faint smile. _Olaf._ Those warm hugs couldn't belong to anyone else.

But it wasn't the snowman who broke the silence.

"Anna, you're not gonna lose Elsa," Kristoff told her. "She loves you. She always has."

He held her closer, lovingly, while Olaf just stayed there. Eventually, when the tears subsided, Anna was able to speak again. "At least we bought Elsa some time."

"You bet. And without our guards to guide them, they'll have a harder time finding their way inside those caves."

Anna sighed. "It's all up to Elsa now. Let's just hope she can manage to do… whatever it is she's planning to do."

As they circled around on the sled to go the Ice Palace, Anna looked up to the sky. For the first time in over a week, the moon and the stars were clearly visible in the night sky, peaceful and bright. She blinked a few times, trying to rid her eyes of any leftover tears, and nearly missed the large shadow that flew silently overhead—too big to be a bird of any kind. _Way_ too big.

_Elsa?_

* * *

The usually long journey to the cave had taken Elsa only half an hour this time, and yet it felt like an eternity for her. Not having to worry about any of Sigurd's men watching her use her powers, she had conjured a stronger gust of wind to bring her here faster. However, they still had a considerable advantage over her, having left the castle three hours ago. Even if Anna had managed to stall them, she was racing against the clock.

Thus, she didn't bother to freeze the water around the sailboat like she always did. This time, she created the usual ice column _beneath_ the boat, raising it all the way to the cave entrance. Then, she created her usual sled, but instead of loading it with a fish barrel, she loaded it with a saddle she'd taken from the stables. It obviously wouldn't fit the dragon's back, but it might fit in its neck, hopefully without hurting it. Finally, she retrieved the sail from the boat and placed it on top of the saddle.

She gave two steps into the cave, pulling the sled, and then she spun around and undid the column _and_ the boat. There would be no going back from this. She either flew out of here on the dragon's back or died trying to protect it—and the latter wasn't really an option, since she still had a sister and a kingdom to look after.

She moved as fast as she could with a loaded sled in tow. On her way back to Arendelle and then back here, she'd been thinking a lot about why the dragon wouldn't fly. It had both its wings, and as far as she could tell, it wasn't hurt or injured. Besides, if that were the case, she would've seen longing instead of fear in the dragon's eyes when it looked to the sky. So the problem wasn't that the dragon _couldn't_ fly.

It _didn't want_ to fly. That was the real problem.

Her brain hurt from thinking of every possible explanation for the dragon's fear. It could've had a bad experience while flying in the past, or even when it tried to fly for the first time in its life. Or perhaps it had seen another dragon being killed while flying, and all this dragon was trying to do was to avoid the risk altogether.

In any case, that last option only begged the question that had been plaguing her ever since she'd found the dragon. If they had all been killed centuries ago, how could this one still be alive? But that wasn't important now. If she managed to pull this off, she'd—no. _When_ she'd managed to pull this off, she'd worry about that unsolved mystery.

She reached the intersection and was about to turn left as usual, when she heard the echo of footsteps and whispering on the tunnel to her right. Sigurd's men were getting closer. She had to do something to slow them down without hurting them… much. Her best option was the same one she'd used so far to slip away from the castle, although slightly different. She summoned a thick mist that would reduce their visibility and literally chill them to the bone, hindering their movements. She sealed that tunnel with ice, trying to make it look like what the dragon had done in the main cavern, and then she took a left and was again on her way.

Elsa was relieved to see the dragon still alive—sleeping peacefully on the ground, actually—and its lair intact. She dragged the sled to where the dragon was and left it there to walk towards one of the sealed passages. She touched the dragon's ice to sense how thick it was and how much it could resist. It was strong and would hold its own against weapons such as swords and spears, but if Sigurd's men had something stronger—like battering rams—it wouldn't last long. The amount of time she had left would depend a lot on that factor.

She returned to where the dragon lay and patted it gently. "Hey, girl, wake up. We need to get out of here."

The dragon blinked a few times and yawned before waking up completely. It smiled when it saw Elsa.

"I'm glad to see you too," she said, smiling back at it. "Now, I know you understand every word I say, so listen to me carefully. I suppose you already know there's a bunch of people hunting you down, don't you? Well, they suspect you may be hiding here, so they have come for you. I can help you get out of here before they find you, but I need you to trust me and let me put this thing," she gestured at the saddle, "on you first. Will you let me?"

The dragon stared at her and crooned softly, and Elsa took it as a sign of approval. She grabbed the sail first and placed it on the dragon's neck, using her powers to shorten it enough so that it would serve as a saddle blanket. Then she picked up the saddle and placed it over the blanket, strapping it carefully so as not to choke the dragon.

"Good girl. Now come with me," Elsa said, turning the sled into a heap of snow and heading towards the tunnel. The dragon followed her closely until they were both out of the cavern. Then Elsa turned to undo the ice statues as well… but she couldn't bring herself to do it. They were a symbol, silent witnesses of the moment in which she and the dragon had developed a bond between them. She knew that leaving them there was a huge risk, but she couldn't destroy them. If only there was a way to preserve them, like by covering them with enough snow to…

That gave her another idea. She called forth a small yet strong snowfall to quickly fill the cavern with snow, and before it overflowed through the entrance, she sealed it with thick ice. She smiled, satisfied; this way, not only would the statues be safe _and_ remain hidden, but the sheer amount of snow would also slow Sigurd down if his soldiers managed to bring down any of the ice walls sealing the other passages.

"Come on," she beckoned the dragon as she began walking away.

After a while, they reached the main entrance in the cliffs. The dragon looked around, as if searching for whatever thing Elsa was planning to use to escape. Finding nothing, it looked at her quizzically.

"That's our way out of here," Elsa said, pointing a finger at the sky.

The dragon seemed to understand immediately—and it didn't like the idea. Like before, it began walking backwards slowly, getting away from the entrance. But Elsa was not willing to let it flee back into the cave again. She sealed off the tunnel behind them with as thick a wall of ice as possible before the dragon could even turn around and run away.

This drastic measure didn't seem to please the dragon. When it saw the ice wall, it roared and growled fiercely and charged at it, trying to bring it down, to no avail.

"Hey, calm down!" Elsa exclaimed, staying a good distance away from the dragon to avoid getting accidentally hurt. "It's for your own good. You need to fly away from here. It's the only way."

The dragon looked frantically at her.

"Please, just trust me. I wouldn't do this unless I knew for sure that you can do it. _I_ am trusting _you_, too, and I'm not going anywhere. We're _both_ flying out of here, together."

The dragon was starting to calm down, though it still looked frightened. Elsa walked slowly towards it. "I won't leave you. Whatever happens to you, it will happen to us both."

She lifted a hand to hold the saddle, but the dragon flinched and growled again. She sighed and closed her eyes. Talking to it had worked so far, but it wouldn't work now apparently. There had to be a way, something she hadn't tried yet, to get through to it. There _had_ to be a way…

_"__The moon glows white on this kingdom tonight,_  
_Not a raincloud to be seen._  
_You're hiding in isolation._  
_Don't I know it! I once did."_

The dragon looked up, confused, clearly not expecting Elsa to sing in such a dire situation. As for her, the words came out spontaneously and with the same fluidity as they had that night a year ago when she reached the North Mountain. She wanted to remind the dragon of how similar they were to one another. Among other things, they both knew what was like to hide from everything and everyone. Her wanting it to leave this place wasn't just because. Its life was at risk if it didn't.

_"__But now they're coming,_  
_And you won't be safe inside._  
_Couldn't hold them up,  
Heaven knows I tried."_

Despite her best efforts to keep the dragon safe from Sigurd, he and his men would soon be here to slay it. This place wasn't safe anymore. She _had_ to convince the dragon of it.

_"__I don't know why you've got such fear_  
_To fly in freedom, to experience such a thrill._  
_But there's no choice, not anymore._  
_It's time to go!"_

She walked towards the entrance, beckoning the dragon with one hand. Whatever the reasons it had to stay on the ground, they didn't matter now. Sometimes, the only way out of a desperate situation is to do the one thing we're less willing to do, but once we do it, it turns out that it wasn't that bad. All that needs to be done is to get rid of the fear—and a friend to help you do it. Elsa knew it better than anyone, for while she _had_ left her own fear behind that night, it would've been so much better if she'd had a friend by her side.

At least now she had the chance to _be_ someone's friend, to help her now in a very unique way.

_"__Let it go, let it go,_  
_Don't hold it back anymore!_  
_Let it go, let it go,_  
_Turn away and slam the door!"_

The dragon frowned at her, as if saying, 'There are no doors here', but Elsa didn't care. If anything, that only made her chuckle a bit before she continued.

_"__Come, don't hide_  
_Don't be afraid of flight  
Let your wings unfold,_  
_'Cause dragons are meant to be soaring high."_

The dragon approached her hesitantly while she sang those words. "I know you can do this," she told it, cupping its face with her hands. "I have faith in you. Have faith in yourself and find the courage inside you."

She lifted her right hand again to hold the saddle, and this time the dragon allowed her to ride on its neck. As she mounted the dragon, it looked once more at the sky, and the terror in its eyes was finally replaced with decisiveness. Elsa tightened her grip on the saddle, getting ready for what she hoped would come next.

She never expected the dragon to lift off with _such_ speed, though. They were at the cave entrance on the cliff one second and a hundred feet into the air the next, heading towards the ocean. She felt queasy for a moment there, but soon the excitement took that awful sensation away. It had worked! She'd helped the dragon get rid of its fear! And now they were _both_ flying, together.

"You did it!" she shouted gleefully. "You did it, you did it, you did it!"

The dragon didn't seem as excited, but at least it didn't look scared anymore. It banked right and made a beeline for the mainland, but it wasn't going back to the cave. No, its angle would take them higher into the air. They were about to fly right above the cliffs—and right above Sigurd's army, from what Elsa could make out. She cackled at the thought of him watching his beloved prize fly away, but also from the joy that she felt right now. This had to be the most amazing thing she'd ever experienced.

_"__Can you see how some distance_  
_Makes everything seem small,_  
_And the fears that once controlled you_  
_Can't get to you at all?"_

The dragon looked briefly at her and growled. It was an 'I guess so' kind of growl, or so Elsa liked to think. But she wasn't done yet. The dragon had left the ground at last, but it still needed to _enjoy_ it. Perhaps a bit of encouragement would do the trick.

_"__It's time to see what you can do,_  
_To test the limits and break through._  
_No right, no wrong, no rules out here,_  
_Be free!"_

With each passing second, the dragon seemed to get bolder and more confident. It began climbing higher and faster while Elsa kept singing.

_"__Let it go, let it go,_  
_Be one with the wind and sky!_  
_Let it go, let it go,_  
_Forever you will fly!"_

Elsa then found that there _were_ some clouds left in the sky after all. She just hadn't been able to see them from the cave entrance. The dragon headed towards them, its tongue stuck out. Her smile grew.

_"__Here you stand,_  
_And here you stay!_  
_Let your wings unfold!"_

The dragon looked at her again, and she saw a glint in its eyes. Then, it began spinning, and Elsa had to hold on tightly to the saddle, but her smile didn't fade away. She was enjoying every moment of it.

_"__So, now you know that through the air you move unbound,_  
_Your soul is spiraling in clouds and airstreams all around,  
And one thought translates into loops and rolls and dives."_

While Elsa sang those words, the dragon made more and more maneuvers. It did dive and then fly back up at unimaginable speeds. When flying through the clouds, it made all kinds of rolls, loops, spins, and even freefalls. At some point during one of the maneuvers, Elsa couldn't help it anymore; with only her left hand still grasping the saddle, she began shooting ice and snow from her right one, leaving a beautiful white swirl in their wake. The dragon looked back and saw the trail of snowflakes and ice crystals—and it made that funny smile again.

And in that instant, Elsa knew for sure…

_"__You're never going back._  
_The past is in the past!"_

This magnificent creature would never again be limited by the ground. This was the beginning of a new life—for both of them, in fact. Her own life would never be the same. This was no longer just a dragon. It was _her_ dragon. Their destinies were forever intertwined, and nothing could separate them now.

Nothing _would_ separate them now.

_"__Let it go, let it go,_  
_And you'll rise like the break of dawn!_  
_Let it go, let it go,_  
_That fearful girl is gone!"_

The dragon climbed again, passing through a cloud. When they came out of it, Elsa saw the moon shining brighter than ever, and she almost felt like she could touch it.

_"__Here you stand,_  
_Near a thousand stars!_  
_Let your wings unfold!"_

The dragon roared mightily as Elsa's song reached its peak.

_"'__Cause dragons are meant to be soaring high._

"Come on, girl," she told the dragon. "There's something I'd like you to see which I'm sure you're going to love."

* * *

As the Ice Fury and its new rider flew away, a masked figure observed them from the shadows, concealed by one of the clouds that still covered the land after so many days of rain and snow. Whatever this singular person with powers over the elements had done, it had worked. The white dragon had finally opened its wings and returned to the sky where it belonged.

Now things would be a lot easier for her.

She made the slightest of gestures and disappeared into the night sky.

* * *

**A/N: Oooohhh, the mystery! Who could that masked figure be? (I can hear you say, "Like we didn't know already", you know.)  
**

**Sorry for the long delay. This chapter turned out to be longer than I expected as I was writing it. I did include the word "maybe" in my statement of last week when I said I'd upload it on Monday or Tuesday, didn't I? Also, as you can see, ****"Let It Go" has to be one of my favorite movie songs ever, and I had to include it here somehow. ****Readapting it to fit it into the story wasn't easy, but I think it was worth the effort.**

**If you had any trouble imagining the scene, here's a link to a video I made with the instrumental version so you can sing along... sort of: www. youtube watch?v=FGnWyhLXfCI (no spaces). I didn't record the lyrics because I don't have the proper equipment to do so, and my manly voice would've been completely out of place anyway. If any of you has the equipment and the voice and feels in a mood to try and record the lyrics, feel free to do so. Just PM me before so I know you're doing it. ;)  
**

**Oh my, 12 reviews for Chapter 6 so far! I never imagined this story would be so popular. Now, let's get to the replies:**

_**Cry-Pom:**_** Thanks, I'm glad you like it.  
__****White Hunter:** **********Thanks.** Soon we will learn why the dragon didn't want to fly, but at least now it does.  
_**RedApple435:**_** Yeah, I couldn't help the cliffy last time, and now you know what's made this chapter special.** I hope you enjoyed it.  
_**UnknownBlackHand:**_**Wow, thanks****, I am absolutely flattered.**** As you can see, Valka will appear very soon, and as for Sigurd... well, let's just say things aren't what they seem when it comes to that guy.  
**_**HardWrapping:**_** Don't worry, it happens to me as well sometimes, and thanks!**  
_**Jenson22:**_** Thank you! Yeah, Elsa will be blown aw********a********y******** when she sees the dragon sanctuary.**.. but that won't happen until we get to the second part, I'm afraid.  
_**Crystal12:**_** Thanks, I will!**  
_**Sourpatchkids:**_** Thank you! Elsa will name the dragon on the next chapter, don't worry.**  
_**Tsamoka:**_** Thanks, I'm glad you like it.**  
_**Guest:**_** Thank you for the suggestions, and no, I'm afraid Elsa won't be paired with anyone in this story. Like I said before, I'm leaving canon pairings untouched.** However, I do have plans for a sequel/spin-off/thing/I-still-don't-know-how-to-call-it where she will be paired with someone... but we're getting way ahead of ourselves here.  
_**PascalDragon:**_** Oh, Sigurd will most definitely get his behind kicked in a couple more chapters.** Thanks, Sven!  
_**magiclover13:**_** Haha, thank you! I think that's _the_ most engouraging review I've read so far (don't get me wrong, everyone else, I love your reviews, but this one was special)**. I hope you loved this chapter.  


**I must add that including the song "Let It Go" was not an original idea of mine. I imagine a lot of people may've done by now, but I owe the idea to one fic in particular, called "The Snow Queen" by Zerlinda. I strongly recommend her stories! You can find them in my favorites tab on my profile page. (And on a side note to all Jelsa shippers like me: yeah, that's a ROTGxFrozen crossover, and one of the best I've read.)**

**Chapter 8 should be ready by Monday (for real this time), so sit tight. In the meantime...**

**Dont forget to review on your way out!**

**P.S.: To all my followers in the US, I really envy you right now. I still have to wait another week before HTTYD2 is released in my country. Please, make your reviews spoiler-free; I've already made the mistake of searching on Google news for anything on the movie and learned that... well, I won't mention it either to avoid spoiling those who haven't watched it. The point is, don't tell me the movie yet, _please_! Thank you.**


	8. Treason

"So, what will you name it? Candy? Truffle?" Anna inquired, her arms crossed, looking at the dragon as it jumped all around the fountain in the Ice Palace's main hall—with Olaf on its back.

Elsa gave her a double-take. "Seriously, Anna? What kind of a name would that be for a dragon?"

"You named your bodyguard Marshmallow."

"Olaf named him Marshmallow."

"And you created Olaf who kind of impersonates your repressed childish personality, so in an indirect sort of way…"

Elsa chuckled. "Alright, you win. Still, a dragon needs a strong name, not a funny one."

"Says who?"

"It's a _dragon_."

"So?" Anna shrugged.

"Just humor me, please."

"Trust me, I'd agree with you if this dragon didn't behave like a puppy."

Elsa opened her mouth to speak but ultimately said nothing. Anna was right. It was as if the dragon hadn't just let go of its fear to fly but also of its somewhat feral nature. It had been fascinated by the Ice Palace upon their arrival there. And by Olaf. _And_ by Marshmallow. She caught a glimpse of the hulking snowman as he stood guard at the Palace door, watching his 'little brother'—as Olaf liked to say—playing with the dragon. There was a very faint smile on his face. Elsa giggled; he looked ridiculously funny with her old crown on his head.

Kristoff and Sven were nowhere to be seen. The reindeer would be waiting outside, unable to climb the staircase that led to the Palace, and Kristoff… well, his jaw had dropped when he saw the dragon, sure, but his real passion was ice, and up to this day he hadn't really had the chance to take a tour around the Palace. He'd probably be admiring one of the spare rooms and caressing the 'flawless' ice. _As long as he doesn't get any funny ideas, like cutting and selling the walls._

"Okay, a strong name…" Anna thought out loud. "How about 'Icewing'?"

"That sounds better than 'Truffle', at least."

Anna narrowed her eyes at her. "You don't like it, though."

_How can you always see through me so well?_ "It's not that I _don't_ like it. It's just that… I don't know."

"You're not convinced. Don't worry, I get it," Anna shrugged it off. However, Elsa was able to notice her indifference. In fact, while Anna had been awestruck to see her arrive at the Palace on the back of a dragon, she didn't look as excited as Elsa was. She was… serious, almost sad. She wasn't like that, and it worried Elsa.

"Anna, are you alright?" she asked her.

"Yeah, sure," Anna replied, smiling. But her smile was weak. Elsa put a hand on her sister's shoulder.

"I know you're not," she told her. Anna didn't bother to reply or even shrug it off again. "Anna, talk to me."

Anna looked away. She opened her lips several times, apparently trying to find the right words, but then she shook her head. "Never mind. It doesn't matter."

But it _did_ matter to Elsa. It occurred to her that maybe having to face Sigurd had been more for Anna than she could ask for. _No. That's not it. She faced a harder challenge when trying to bring me back home._ Or maybe… Maybe Elsa had been so crazy about the dragon that Anna could now be thinking that she was shutting her out again—trading her for the dragon. Her keeping the secret from Anna surely wasn't helping the situation. And that was the reason why she hated doing it. But she had done so to protect her, and Anna had apparently accepted that just a few hours ago, so why was she acting like this now?

"So, what now?" Anna asked just as Elsa was about to speak, taking away the chance to ask her about it.

Elsa sighed. "Sigurd doesn't know that I helped the dragon escape… I think. So maybe that could work to our advantage."

"What do you mean?"

"He claimed that I had been taken and killed by the monster. Let's play along with that. When you return to the castle, start taking charge of things like I'm never coming back. Hopefully, now that their 'monster' is gone, Sigurd will leave in less than a day."

"I assume you'll return once he does."

"I'll wait here a few days, just to be on the safe side, but yes. You won't have to worry about handling a kingdom for long."

Anna nodded, still serious. "Well, in that case, I'd better get Kristoff, and we'd better be going before Sideburns returns to Arendelle." She patted Elsa on the back and gave her another faint smile. "Take care."

Elsa didn't respond. Anna was really distraught, that much was obvious. She wanted to reassure her that she loved her and ever would, and simple words wouldn't be enough to prove it right now, so she decided to do something that normally Anna would do.

She rushed to squeeze her sister from behind.

"Thank you, Anna," she said.

Visibly taken by surprise, Anna said, "For what?"

"For everything you did for me when my powers became known. It's been a year and I still hadn't thanked you properly."

Anna shrugged, still wrapped around Elsa's arms. "It was nothing, really."

"No, it _was_," Elsa said, letting go of her sister and looking her in the eye. "When I was trying to help the dragon fly, I realized how hard it was for you—all that you had to do just for me. I owe you my life, Anna."

Anna's lips quivered for a moment. "Oh, don't be so dramatic. It was nothing compared to what you had to endure all those years, staying in your room all the time to avoid hurting me again. I mean, it was hard for me when I didn't know, but now…" She paused. "Come to think of it, I haven't thanked you properly, either. You sacrificed everything for me—your childhood, your life…" Then she scoffed and mumbled, "Of course, if Mom and Dad hadn't taken such drastic measures, we might've discovered sooner that love was the key."

Elsa was able to hear that despite Anna's low voice, but her mind was on something else she'd mentioned. "Did you say 'again'?"

"What?"

"You said 'to avoid hurting me again', but I never…" Her voice trailed off when Anna gave her a 'Seriously?' look, and then it dawned on Elsa. "You… know?"

"Of course I know," Anna replied. "My white lock of hair disappears mysteriously after my heart is thawed? It wasn't too hard to put two and two together." She fidgeted a little and smiled apologetically. "That, and… Grand Pabbie might have restored my childhood memories a few days ago, before all this madness started. Kind of like an anniversary present for his future daughter-in-law."

Elsa was at a loss. "Then why didn't you tell me?"

"Why didn't _you_?" Anna countered.

"Because the Troll King said that you weren't supposed to know. That's why he removed your memories of my magic in the first place."

"But that was before you learned how to control your powers. You didn't have to keep it in secret anymore, just like you didn't have to keep this little scheme of yours from me."

Elsa didn't know what to say. Now she understood why Anna was being so indifferent with her. It had nothing to do with her giving the dragon so much attention. No, the reason why Anna was upset, and maybe even disappointed, was because she'd been waiting for Elsa to come clean about her secret—to trust her, just like Elsa had asked Anna to do the same—and she hadn't.

"You know," Anna continued, "for so many years I wondered why you'd shut me out. I didn't know if it was because I'd done something wrong to you without knowing and you hated me for it, or because I didn't like you as your sister anymore and you were simply trying to act like I didn't exist, or something else. All I knew is that I'd lost my sister, maybe forever. Learning about your powers was one of the best things that could've happened to me because everything—or most of it, at least—made sense now, and it only got better when Pabbie helped me remember. I was so happy to know that you'd had no other choice but to conceal it, because it meant that your shutting me out had nothing to do with me and that you _did_ love me, enough to stay away from me to avoid hitting me again with your powers.

"But then, you start acting weird again, and this time I really don't know why. And the worst thing is I probably wouldn't have realized it until it was too late and I had lost you for real, again not knowing what it was that I did wrong." A tear rolled down Anna's cheek, and Elsa shed one of her own.

"Oh, Anna," she said, holding her sister's hands. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I had to lie to you, and I'm sorry I didn't trust you. I should've known better than that. I should've trusted _you_. Please, forgive me. I promise I _will_ trust you from now on and never again lie to you."

Anna wiped the tear from her face. "You promise?"

"I promise, Anna," Elsa said and embraced her sister again. "I love you. I'm sorry if I made you doubt that, but I will do everything I can so that you don't ever doubt it again."

Elsa felt her sister smile on her shoulder as she squeezed her gently. "I love you too, Elsa. Just, please, don't keep any secret from me again, no matter how much you may think it will affect me. You don't have to protect me all the time; I can handle myself. I survived a winter gale of your own making. I can survive learning a secret."

They both chuckled, but then Elsa blinked. "What did you just say you survived?"

"A winter gale. You know, everybody keeps saying it was a blizzard, but I think that's exaggerated."

"No, it's not that," Elsa said, letting go of Anna who raised an eyebrow at the excitement etched on Elsa's face. She obviously didn't understand what Elsa meant until the latter gestured at the playful dragon. Then Anna looked at Elsa with a knowing look and a wide smile.

"Wintergale!" they exclaimed in unison.

The dragon instantly stopped in its tracks, looking at the two sisters.

"Do you like it?" Elsa said. "Do you like that name—Wintergale?"

The dragon wagged its tail and hopped towards Elsa, smiling—and with Olaf still on its back. It didn't knock her over, having stopped short from doing so, but its face did come only a few inches from Elsa's face.

"Then Wintergale it is," Elsa said, patting and caressing the dragon's head. She looked again at Anna who seemed in shock.

"It's… it's…" she stammered, pointing at the dragon.

"Smiling?" Elsa completed the sentence. "Yeah, she is."

Anna laughed and shook her head, smiling just as widely as Wintergale was. "I can't believe it," she said. Then she looked at Elsa with begging eyes. "Can I… can I touch her?"

Elsa grinned. "Sure, go ahead."

Anna lifted a shaking hand, slowly, while Wintergale tilted her head slightly to the right. Elsa chuckled and took her sister's hand, guiding it to Wintergale's nose. Anna giggled nervously.

"It feels so cool," she said.

"Yes, it does," Elsa agreed.

It didn't take long for Anna to lose her unease. Soon she was patting and caressing Wintergale just like Elsa had. "She's beautiful," she said. Then, more seriously but not upset, she added, "Despite everything, I'm glad you did what you did. She was definitely worth saving."

Elsa was touched by this comment. "Thanks, Anna."

Anna smiled.

* * *

By the time Anna and Kristoff were back at Arendelle, it was nearly dawn. If Sigurd had already returned by now, he'd probably be displeased to see that she had ignored his will. She didn't care. If anything, it made her feel satisfied, for it had been well worth it. Talking to Elsa had been quite comforting, and being able to help her was even more so. Wintergale, of course, was incredible, and maybe Elsa would one day invite her to fly along with them, but for now she was content with having her sister back.

Kristoff took the sled to the part of the stable reserved for Arendelle's Ice Master and Deliverer. Once he'd helped Anna out of it and Olaf had hopped out as well, he parked it properly and released Sven. Olaf was beaming, perhaps even more than Anna herself.

"You look more happy than usual, Olaf," Anna told the snowman. "Did you enjoy riding on Wintergale's back?"

"Yeah, it was awesome!" he replied. "I really liked her."

"I'm sure she liked you, too."

"You too look happy."

Anna's smile grew. "I am."

"I told you that Elsa loved you," Kristoff said behind her. "But I guess you needed to hear it straight from her."

"It's always nice to get a little reassurance."

"Well, I'm glad you two were able to sort things out. _And_ I'm glad to have my girlfriend back," he said, giving her a small kiss on the lips.

"Hey, I never left!" she exclaimed.

"You were kinda out of character for a while."

"That's not true," Anna replied, but then she reconsidered. "Okay, maybe a little."

"I'm always right."

"Don't push it," she said, finally returning the kiss. When they separated their lips from each other's, she beckoned Olaf with one hand.

"Actually, I think I'll stay here for a while with Sven," Olaf said. "I'd like to tell him everything about Wintergale."

Anna and Kristoff exchanged looks, and they both shrugged. "Sure, knock yourself out, buddy," Kristoff told him. "We'll leave the door open for you."

"Thanks!" Olaf exclaimed then turned around and rushed to where Sven was now lying. "Hey, Sven, guess what?"

Kristoff and Anna chuckled and left the stables. They walked hand in hand, slowly, both of them smiling but neither of them saying a word. It took them about ten more minutes to get to the castle. The gates were open, just like they used to be before Sigurd's arrival, which meant that Sideburns and his henchmen were still gone.

But there was something else about the castle. It looked dark. There wasn't a single light on. When they entered the castle proper, it was utterly silent. There should already be some servants and maids awake by now, opening the windows and curtains and cleaning the empty hallways. And yet, after walking deeper into the castle through those hallways, it was obvious that there wasn't a single soul here. Something wasn't right.

"You know," an eerily familiar voice said among the darkness when they reached another corridor, startling her, "a princess shouldn't be out in the forest at this time of night. It's dangerous."

With that, out of nowhere, a bunch of soldiers armed with crossbows appeared and surrounded them. Then, Sigurd himself came out of the shadows with a smug look on his face.

"What is the meaning of this?" Anna demanded angrily.

"Oh, don't worry, Princess. I'm not taking over your boring little kingdom. This is just a desperate measure for a desperate time."

"What are you talking about?" This is straight up treason!" Kristoff said.

"Aw, look at this. The Princess' peasant boyfriend steps up to defend her," Sigurd mocked, walking calmly around them. "Don't waste your breath. I get the feeling that this Princess can defend herself. Can't you, Your Highness?"

Anna glared at Sideburns as he walked around her—and caught a glimpse of Olaf walking down the hallway they'd just left. None of Sigurd's men seemed to notice.

"What do you gain by trying to capture the Princess of Arendelle?!" she yelled at the top of her lungs, hoping that Olaf would catch her drift, despite his innocent nature. She silently breathed in relief when she saw that the snowman his quickly behind the threshold of the door that divided the hallway.

Sigurd, meanwhile, didn't lose his smirk. "Don't waste your time calling for help. None of your servants will come to your aid, much less your Royal Guards."

Anna gasped. "What did you do to them?"

"They're still alive, if that's what you're concerned about. Whether they _stay_ alive is entirely up to you."

"Where are they?"

"Let's just say that this kingdom's dungeons have never been so… populated."

Anna wanted to jump past the barrier of soldiers to punch Sigurd in the face, but she refrained herself from doing so. "Why are you doing this?"

Sigurd shrugged. "I just want to be sure that I'm holding all the cards when I come face to face with the Snow Queen."

_So, he knows_, Anna thought. Still, she tried to play dumb. "She's alive?" she asked, feigning surprise and hope.

"I believe so, yes. In fact, I no longer think the monster caught her." If Sigurd was playing along or didn't really know about Elsa and was waiting for Anna to slip something, she couldn't tell.

"You mean she killed it?"

Sigurd scoffed. "You see, that monster never did things differently before. It was almost like a routine, which is what allowed me to catch up with it faster each time. Had it kept doing everything the same way, I would've been able to capture it the next time it attacked another town, or maybe even here.

"But then, the monster started to behave differently. That had me frustrated for several days, until your people told me of the caves. You know what I found there? Ice and snow. A _lot_ of snow. But the monster wasn't there, and you know why? Because it _flew_ away. It had never flown before. It always ran from town to town, but it never flew until now. That got me thinking. What was different about this place that could've made the monster change so much? And that's when I realized. It's not a matter of 'what' but of 'whom'."

Sigurd finally stopped walking in circles and stared directly into Anna's eyes. "Your sister, the _Snow_ Queen. The monster didn't capture her. _She_ went with it. She's _helping_ it."

Anna couldn't speak. Was this man really going for that argument? Two of his soldiers made way for him to walk closer to Anna. He placed a finger under her chin and forced her face up. Anna felt sick.

"I suppose it takes a monster to help a monster," he said, his arrogant smile still drawn across his face.

Anna knew she had to protect Elsa and Wintergale at all costs, and maybe trying to act like she really didn't know what was happening would help. Right now, the best way to achieve this was to let her anger and hatred for this man get the best of her, so she did the one thing she never imagined she'd do.

She spat him on the face.

"You're insane," she hissed. "First you say that my sister is dead, and now you say that she is a monster helping another monster. Which one is it?"

Sigurd wiped the spit from his face, that annoying smile finally gone. "You tell me."

She furrowed her brow. "I've been away from this castle for the last six hours, trying to find a way to cope with the loss of my sister—something _you_ told me happened—and now I'm supposed to believe that she's a traitor?"

"I never said that. Your sister may just be… misguided. For decades she's believed that she's the only one out there with ice powers, and then she has an encounter with a creature possessing similar abilities. It is understandable that she would empathize with it, but though she may have tamed it for now, a beast will always be a beast. Nature always wins." He smirked again. "I'm not the bad guy. I'm trying to save people, including your sister. She doesn't know what she's gotten herself into."

"You don't really expect me to believe that, do you?" Anna said, her words laced with venom.

Sigurd chuckled. "Not really. But that's the story I'll tell people later on. Simple folks are more gullible than you are. The point is, I'll find that monster and slay it, and anyone who stands in my way will meet the same fate. Still, if I tell the Queen that her beloved sister's life hangs by a thread, she might feel inclined to relinquish the beast, provided that I present her with evidence of my words. Wouldn't you agree?"

_If he even suspects that you know something, he could use you against me, and if he did…_

Elsa's words echoed inside Anna's mind. She'd been right to try and protect her, after all. But now she was knee-deep in this mess, and the best she could do was to prove her own worth and that she _could_ handle herself, just like she'd told Elsa. "Even if you're right and my sister's still alive, and helping the monster, you'll have to find her first. And _if_ you do, I seriously doubt she'll meet your demands. You don't know her like I do."

Sigurd straightened. "For your own sake, I hope you're wrong. As for finding her, I already know where she is. I've got to say, if I were the Snow Queen, the last place where I'd hide an ice monster would be my Ice Palace."

Anna's eyes widened. _How could you know that?_, she wanted to ask. But she didn't. Mostly because she feared that it would give her away, and also because she recalled Elsa mentioning her encounter with the Duke of Weselton's thugs, which made the question pointless. Not making it, however, turned out to be a mistake.

"I find your silence encouraging, Princess," Sigurd said, walking behind her. He pulled out a knife from his belt, grabbed both of Anna's pigtails, and cut them all at once. Kristoff was about to tackle and hit him, but one of the soldiers knocked him out with the butt of his crossbow.

"Kristoff!" Anna yelled, kneeling to tend to him.

"This will do nicely," Sigurd said, holding Anna's hair in his hand. "We shall see who of us is right. In the meantime…"

He ordered his soldiers to take Anna and Kristoff to the Queen's room and to ensure that she stayed there, and then he left. As the men escorted them away, Anna looked over her shoulder to make sure that Sigurd didn't run into the hiding snowman and felt a little better after seeing that he didn't. The soldiers dragged Kristoff all the way to Elsa's room and dropped him there. They aimed their weapons at Anna and motioned for her to get inside. She didn't challenge them, being more worried about Kristoff than about making an impression. The soldiers closed the door and locked it, leaving only Anna and Kristoff in the room.

Anna knelt again by Kristoff's side. "Kristoff, please wake up," she said, shaking him.

Kristoff groaned and took a hand to his head. "That guy has a heavy hand," he said. Then, looking at Anna, he added, "You look a lot like your cousin Rapunzel right now."

Anna let out a breath of relief. She helped him on his feet and to the bed. Then they both jumped when they heard a loud thud on the window. She ran to it and opened it to find Olaf's head—just the head—smashed against the glass.

"Hey! Are you guys okay?" he said, his voice muffled as his mouth was against the window. Anna detached him from it.

"We're fine, Olaf," she whispered, to which Kristoff groaned again. "Well, he's a little banged up. What about you?"

"I'm great," Olaf said, smiling. _Does anything ever faze this little snowman?_

"That's good. I was worried about you."

"Hey, no need to worry. Sideburns didn't see me. He left the castle in a hurry and headed for the woods."

"Probably to rendezvous with the rest of his soldiers," Kristoff considered. "Have you encountered any more of his men here in the castle, aside from the ones guarding this room?"

"Nope."

"Still, it would be hard to keep all our servants and Royal Guards under lock and key without enough people to keep an eye on them," Anna said. "Sigurd's men total a little over 200. If I were him, I'd split them and leave half of them here to keep things under control while he and the rest go to the North Mountain."

"I didn't know you were such a great strategist," Kristoff said.

"I'm not. Who said that was a strategy? All I'm saying is that that's what I'd do." Then Anna realized something. "How did your head end up here anyway, Olaf? Where's the rest of your body?"

"Down there in the courtyard," Olaf replied, gesturing outside with his eyes. Anna looked down to the courtyard, and true enough, Olaf's body was sitting there, his parts rearranged in such a way that it looked like some sort of catapult. She giggled. It was funny to see him like this.

"Okay, Olaf, I need you to do something for me. You must go—"

"Warn Elsa about Sideburns!" Olaf exclaimed. "Finally! I thought you'd never ask."

Anna smiled. "You already know how to get there. Go get Sven. You'll be able to get to the Palace faster on his back. Try to avoid the main road, and whatever you do, don't let Sigurd and his men spot you."

"Got it," Olaf winked. He seemed to be waiting for something else to happen. Eventually, he said, "Um, Anna? Would you please throw my head back to my body?"

"Oh, right!" Anna said. She aimed carefully at the uneven lump of snow down in the courtyard and threw Olaf's head as hard as she could. It landed right on top of his body. He rearranged his parts again and ran away, only looking back to wave at Anna and give her a thumbs-up. She sighed, hoping that the diminutive snowman would be able to get to Elsa in time.

"Hey," Kristoff said, "that was amazing."

"Huh?" Anna replied, losing her train of thought.

"What you did back there. You showed Sigurd who's in charge."

"Not really," Anna said, still looking outside. Olaf was gone by now.

"Not really? You would've punched his teeth out of his mouth if there hadn't been any soldiers between you and he, just like you did Hans."

Anna shrugged. "Promise me you'll never grow sideburns."

They looked at each other—and began laughing. Or rather, guffawing. It was a full-blown laughter that went on for a good five minutes until they cried. Then she stared outside her window—and saw a massive shadow flying away in the distance. It was extremely fast, for all it took for it to disappear from Anna's view was a blink of an eye. She noticed that it didn't look like Wintergale at all. This flying creature had to be at least twice as big.

Could it be yet another dragon?

Whatever it was, Anna was certain of at least one thing. That creature was heading to the North Mountain.

* * *

**A/N: I'm really, _really_ sorry about the delay. Not only was this week busier than I thought it would be, but also my entire neighborhood has been having constant blackout issues because of the whacky weather in my country—and thus, whenever I _did_ have power, I had to make use of my computer to do my homework. Here's hoping that the weather improves in the next few days so that I won't have the same problem again.  
**

**HTTYD2 was finally released in my country three days ago! I watched it on Friday... and I cried. A _lot_. Wasn't really sure of how to adapt my storyline to make it fit into the events of the film, but I finally got that sorted out. I'm glad to announce that this fic will be made up of 29 chapters total, with "Part One" ending at Chapter 11 (yeah, we're almost there), and "Part Two" beginning at Chapter 12, obviously. I'll try to update both parts as regularly as possible, but let me tell you in advance that there might be a two-week hiatus between Parts One and Two. The thing is, I've neglected my HaloxSGA crossover, and I really want to finish that, or at least to update one or two more chapters, before continuing with this.**

**I must say, I've been blown away. When I readapted "Let It Go", I never expected it to have such a possitive response! Thank you all for leaving such wonderful reviews! Now, let's get on with the replies:**

******__****magiclover13:**** Thank you! I'm glad you liked the song and the bond between Elsa and Wintergale**.  
**__****Pabulover123:**** Trust me, it wasn't easy for me figuring out how to incorporate them. I'm glad you liked the song, thank you!  
********__****PascalDragon:************My chapter made your Saturday night? In that case, your review made _mine_! Hehe, thank you for your comments, and I agree, that would definitely be awesome. **I hope you haven't fallen to the temptation of reading about the whole movie plot on Wikipedia or the HTTYD Wiki, 'cause despite the major spoiler floating around the Web, there are still a lot of things that might surprise you about the film which aren't quite as enjoyable once you know them in advance. Thanks, Sven!  
******__****RedApple435:**** Possibly..**.  
******__****White Hunter:** **********I hope you like the name Elsa and Anna came up with for the Ice Fury**.  
******__****YouNameIt:**** I'm glad to know that the scene was easy to picture. I wanted to give more details about the trio reaction, but for some reason I couldn't quite get it to work. Still, I hope you liked this chapter, and thank you!**  
_**alive-in-us:**_** Thanks! At first, I was absolutely adamant to make it Hiccelsa, but now that I've seen the film..****. I'm still considering it. Not sure yet.  
********__****Guest:**** You'll get more, don't worry.  
********__****Peach 3:**** Thank you. Like I mentioned above, still not sure.**  
******__****UnknownBlackHand:****Huh, hadn't thought about it that way****. I hope you liked the surprise, then.  
********__****Dragonfan47:**** Maybe... **  
******__****Crystal12:**** Thank you!** I'm really flattered. I'm afraid Hiccup won't appear for another while. You see, I don't like jumping the gun to get to the "interesting part" of a story. I prefer to establish a really good backstory, which is what I hope makes this fic special and interesting to read. Still, I'm also looking forward to that meeting.  
_**Guest:**_** That's an interesting name. I've already named it, as you can see, but thank you for the suggestion****************. Perhaps ****************I can use that name in the future ****************if Toothless and Wintergale have babies. As for Hiccup and Valka, she will appear shortly, but Hiccup won't show up soon, like I said above.  
********__****Sephiroth Cresent-Valentine:**** Like I mentioned above, it will be a while.** But don't worry, it will be something nice when we get to that.  
******__****Guest:**** Again, sorry about the delay****************.** It was because of things beyond my control.  


******I'm replying to each anonymous guest review as if they are from different people. Unfortunately, the latest such review contained virtually _every_ spoiler of HTTYD2, so even though I had already watched the film and knew about them, there are still a lot of people who haven't watched it, so I had no other choice but to delete that comment. Please, if you leave a review, make it spoiler-free; be considerate of those who haven't watched it.**

******Under the current conditions, I can't make any promises to upload soon, but I'll do my best to write and upload it fast. Until then...**

******Don't forget to review on your way out!**


	9. The Second Assault on the Ice Palace

The sunrays of dusk began painting the clouds with red and pink pastels, turning the sky into a beautiful scene that any master painter would love to capture… from Arendelle, at least. It didn't help much in diminishing the menacing environment that surrounded the North Mountain, though. The swirling clouds above its peak expelled a mild flurry of snowflakes, and on the mountain side where night was already falling, blackness replaced their natural whiteness and blended with the few traces of pink.

The last time a scene like this had been formed, it had been as a result of Elsa's powers responding to her distress after learning of the eternal winter she'd unleashed.

Elsa walked to the balcony to get some fresh air—and she sighted a group of people closing in on the Palace. A _large_ group of _armed_ men. If she had to guess, she'd say that those were Sigurd's men, quite possibly led by Sigurd himself. _Does he ever stop being so annoying?_

Unlike the small group that Hans had brought here a year ago, this bunch of soldiers were too noisy. They hadn't even reached the Palace's staircase when Marshmallow awoke to the racket of metal against metal from the soldiers' armors and weapons. He roared in an attempt to scare the soldiers away, but that only encouraged them to charge against him.

"Marshmallow, stop!" Elsa commanded from the balcony. The last thing she needed was for him to get his leg severed from his body—again. "Let these people through. They're guests."

Marshmallow looked briefly at Elsa who gave him a nod as her final confirmation. Then the gigantic snowman returned to his original position—curled up beside the staircase. The man leading the soldiers sheathed his sword and looked up to the Palace's balcony. It was definitely Sigurd; those sideburns were unmistakable.

"Captain Sigurd! I was under the impression that you were hunting down a monster. What brings you here to the North Mountain, exclusive domain of the Snow Queen of Arendelle?"

Sigurd curtsied; whether mockingly or for real, Elsa couldn't tell. "It is precisely my quest that brings me here, Your Majesty, as well as a request from your people and your sister who is terribly concerned about your well-being. We all believed that you were dead, taken by the ice monster during one of your escapades."

Elsa noticed that he didn't seem mad about that last part. "I would apologize about leaving the safety of my castle during the curfew, but as we have already established, neither you nor I answer to each other. Nevertheless, and seeing as how you are already here, I welcome you to my Ice Palace. Please, feel free to cross the gates and make yourselves comfortable. I shall join you shortly."

"We appreciate your hospitality, Your Highness," Sigurd replied, bowing again before approaching the Palace. Elsa walked back inside and down the stairs to the Main Hall while Sigurd and his small army entered the Palace two by two.

"Forgive me if the staircase is less spacious than the bridge that leads to Arendelle's castle. When I first built this place, I was not planning on having any visitors," she said.

Sigurd walked up the curving staircase and approached her. "Where is it?" he asked menacingly.

"The staircase? You just—"

"You know exactly what I mean. Where are you hiding it?"

"Captain, I really don't—"

"Stop playing games!" he exclaimed. "I know you helped it escape!"

Elsa was unfazed by Sigurd's outburst. "The last time you yelled at me and nearly _killed_ me, I let it slip because, as you yourself said, the laws of my kingdom prevented me from taking any person's life by my own hand," she said in a low, calm voice. "But here, in this mountain—_my_ kingdom of isolation—those laws don't apply. So, let me ask you this, and pay attention because I will only say it once. Do you _really_ want to challenge the _Snow Queen_ in her own dominion?"

Sigurd held his sword high, but Elsa noticed the slight quiver in his hand. "Very well, if that's how you want it…"

Elsa raised her hand slightly, getting ready to defend herself if it came to that. Instead, Sigurd sheathed his sword and straightened himself. "I do not care why you left your castle and came here. What I _do_ care about is the ice monster. I have reason to believe that you helped it escape from the cave it was hiding in, and since this is the only other place where you would be if not in your castle, it only stands to reason that you would bring it here."

Elsa glared at him. "I will simply ignore the fact that you just accused me of ensuring the survival of a creature which poses a deadly menace to my people and ask what it is exactly that you are doing here."

"Why, I came to find and slay it, of course. So, if you'd be so kind as to tell us where it is…"

Elsa remained impassible. "Like I was trying to say before, I do not know of what you speak, but I suppose nothing I tell you will convince you otherwise." Sigurd stared at her, smirking. "Very well, if you must, feel free to search every last room in this Palace."

Sigurd's smile almost vanished for a second. Then he turned to his soldiers. "You heard the Queen! Search this entire place—every room, every corridor, even the roof if needed be," he ordered. The men began spreading out throughout the Palace.

"It didn't take me a lot of effort to build this place, but I will be most displeased if I have to fix any damage your minions do to it," Elsa told Sigurd. Then she turned around and began walking up the staircase leading to the Heart of the Palace. "I shall be upstairs if you need me."

But Sigurd would have none of it. "You two, go with her," he barked.

Elsa turned to see who he would send with her and nearly laughed out loud when she saw that they were none others than the Duke of Weselton's thugs. Needless to say, both of them were trembling, but they complied. She cast them a glare that would've frozen them right where they stood if possible, just to make sure they didn't get any ideas. When she reached the upper floor, she kept walking towards the balcony. "I shall be out here. Let me know when your Captain is done," she told the two shaking guys before flicking her wrist to make the balcony doors shut. She leaned on the cold railing and let the wintery breeze caress her skin. Then she looked up once more to take in the view.

The last time a scene like this had been formed, it had been as a result of Elsa's powers responding to her distress after learning of the eternal winter she'd unleashed. This time, however, she had consciously summoned such weather in advance. Just one of the many precautions she'd taken for when Sigurd arrived, to try and discourage him and his men.

For this visit hadn't taken her by surprise. On the contrary…

She'd been expecting him.

* * *

**_6 hours earlier_**

Elsa tapped her chin as she studied her latest addition—or rather, adaptation—to the Palace. "Think you'll be able to sleep well in here, Wintergale?"

The dragon crooned and smiled.

"I guess it _is_ close enough to your old lair, don't you think?"

Wintergale hopped into its new 'room' at the very bottom of the Palace in what Elsa liked to call "The Tower"—the spacious, taller structure behind the one containing the Palace's Main Hall and Heart. While its original purpose had been mostly to give the Palace an even greater appearance, after the Great Thaw she'd actually built many floors and rooms within it, as well as an entrance behind the Hall's fountain and just below the two curving staircases to allow access to it.

This new section was virtually the same size as the cavern where Elsa had found Wintergale days ago. Elsa had also added a few details, such as ice stalactites and lots of snow, to make it as similar as possible. The only difference was that the entrance to this lair was not a rocky tunnel but a spiraling ramp wide enough to allow for Wintergale to walk freely through it—and that this place was _completely_ made of ice. It was perfect for Wintergale… and yet, Elsa felt like something else was missing.

"Of course!" she said, snapping her fingers. Then she added one last thing: an opening at the far-end wall that would lead to the back of the Palace and allow Wintergale to come and go at will—flying, of course.

"_Now_ it is perfect for you," she told her dragon.

A soft midday breeze came in through the opening and filled the room, carrying the sound of the wind flowing through the snowy mountains… and the echo of a voice that was calling her name.

_Elsa … Elsa … Elsa…_

She recognized the voice. "Olaf?"

_Elsa!_

"That's Olaf, Wintergale!" she exclaimed and rushed back to the Main Hall. She quickly opened the doors to find that, indeed, Olaf _and_ Sven had come to the castle and that he was already talking to Marshmallow. She couldn't make out what he was saying, though. He was speaking faster than she thought possible, and he also looked a bit worried—something extremely unusual of him.

"Elsa!" he said when he looked up to the entrance. Then he went up the stairs in a hurry while Sven and Marshmallow stayed on the other side of the chasm below. "Elsa, you need to get away from here! Sigurd is coming for Wintergale!"

"What?" Again, Elsa struggled to understand the snowman at first, but then the words slowly made sense. "Sigurd?"

"Yeah. He's imprisoned the Royal Guards and servants in the dungeons and is keeping Anna and Kristoff under guard in the castle. Elsa, he knows that you're here! You and Wintergale need to leave!" The information was coming from his mouth so fast Elsa couldn't even process it all at once, but the part about Anna immediately caught her full attention.

"Okay, slow down, Olaf. One thing at a time," Elsa said. "First, where are Anna and Kristoff?"

"Sigurd locked them in your room in the castle. Elsa, the guy is crazy! He believes that you helped the monster escape. He had Kristoff beaten and almost tortured Anna to make her confess! Well, not really, but I saw that he had a knife in his hand and then he… Elsa?"

She didn't reply right away. Her knees had nearly buckled upon hearing about Anna. It was one thing that Sigurd had nearly killed Elsa, but that he'd tried to do the same thing to Anna… Had she failed to protect her by involving her in all this?

Snow began falling all around her. She needed to remain calm… for Anna. "Please tell me she's okay."

"Yeah, she's fine, and so is Kristoff. They're just Sigurd's prisoners right now. He's the one you should be worried about."

_That's the biggest understatement I've ever heard._ "How could he know about my Palace, anyway?"

"I'm not sure, but he wasn't bluffing when he said that he knew. He left half of his soldiers in Arendelle and took the rest with him. Sven and I have spent the last day trying to avoid them while on our way here, and I can tell you that he's on the right track. I was hoping to get here sooner, but the guy and his soldiers move really fast! I feared we wouldn't get to you in time."

"It's okay, Olaf. You did a great job. Now relax while I think of something."

Elsa didn't even want to ask how much time she had before Sigurd's arrival. The last thing she needed was to become more stressed. Just like her powers, the Heart of the Palace was already reacting to her emotions. Even from down here, she could see the reflection of red light on the ice. She heard the sound of heavy footsteps behind her which she knew belonged to Wintergale. The dragon walked up to her side and growled softly with its head tilted to its side.

"Don't worry, girl," Elsa told her, lifting up a hand and putting atop Wintergale's head. "He won't harm you. I promise."

But could she keep such a promise when her sister's life was in the balance?

It was clear that her original plan had gone awry. With Sigurd already on his way here, there was no point in keeping the charade any more. She would either have to flee far, far away with Wintergale—which could turn out to be death sentence for Anna—or stay and fight and hope that she would be able to defeat no less than a hundred armed men _without_ killing any of them. After her experience with the Duke's bodyguards last year in which she'd almost truly become a monster and a murderer, she'd vowed never again to try and use her powers to take any other person's life, not even Sigurd's… not even when that could save—

_Wait._

Perhaps she _could_ still keep the charade. After all, how much could Sigurd actually know? He was aware of her private hideout in the mountains, so what? Maybe all he was trying to do was to prove that she _had_ helped Wintergale escape. He could still need _evidence_.

Well, he wouldn't get it.

Before Sigurd and his army arrived, she could make sure that Wintergale remained hidden in her new lair. All she had to do was to seal the ramp and darken the ice so that nobody would be able to see what was below. No, that was still too risky. What if Wintergale couldn't help making some noise? No, what she really needed to do was to take her away, just as Olaf said—_and_ return to the Palace as soon as possible. But how? Other than on Wintergale's back, the only way to be back here soon was to ride on Sven's back. She didn't want to imagine how it would affect Kristoff if Sigurd did something to his dear friend out of pure spite.

_Sven._ She looked down at the reindeer sitting by Marshmallow's side. What if _she_ didn't have to leave the Palace at all? What if…?

Elsa walked down the staircase and approached the reindeer. "Hey, Sven? Is it possible that you could get to the lake where Kristoff harvests ice on your own?"

The reindeer simply stared at Elsa, his face showing no emotion.

"Come on, Sven. I know you are very smart for a reindeer. Can you get there?"

Sven raised an eyebrow.

"Uh, Elsa?" Olaf said, beckoning her closer. Elsa bent over so that her face was at level with Olaf's. "I think he wants something in return," he whispered into her ear.

"Something in return?" Elsa repeated, also in a low voice.

Olaf squinted, looking to the ground. Elsa frowned, to which Olaf only squinted harder. It took her a while to realize that Olaf wasn't looking at the ground but at his own nose—his _carrot_ nose.

"Oh, that," Elsa thought out loud as she looked again at Sven. _Very smart, indeed._ He was asking for something in exchange for the information she needed. And of course Elsa knew about his love for carrots.

"Alright," she told the reindeer. "I'm sorry, Sven. I don't have any carrot here, but if you help me, I promise to give you an entire crate of carrots when we return to Arendelle.

Sven raised his eyebrow even more.

"Fine, make that three crates."

This time, the reindeer smiled and nodded, hopefully in reply to her original question.

"Good. Do you and Kristoff have some sort of refuge or cave where you can stay in case you get caught in a storm or something?"

Again, the reindeer didn't gesture nor make a noise.

"There will be five crates of delicious carrots waiting at home for you."

The reindeer nodded.

"Perfect. If you can take Olaf and Wintergale there, I'll double the amount of crates," Elsa told him, this time presenting her offer in advance. Sven wagged his tail and stuck his tongue out.

_One less problem, at least._

"But what about you, Elsa?" Olaf asked. "Won't you come?"

"No, Olaf. I need to stay."

"Why?"

"To put Sigurd off the scent. When he arrives, I'll welcome him like nothing else is going on here. Aside from me, he'll find an empty Palace and no evidence of Wintergale ever being here. He will have no other choice but to leave and continue his search elsewhere."

"Are you sure?"

She looked up to the distance and sighed. "I've got to at least try."

* * *

Elsa took a deep breath. She'd managed to stay calm during her verbal match with Sigurd, but it _had_ taken a lot. Thus far, focusing on the here and now had helped, and she knew that she needed to keep doing it instead of worrying about Anna, for it was the best way to ensure her sister's safety.

She was certain that the Duke's goons had been the ones to tell Sigurd about this place, since Anna wouldn't have told him in a million years. Now Elsa knew that for a fact. Anna was a lot stronger and braver than she thought. She had to be, if Sigurd had taken such desperate measures like beating Kristoff and threatening to kill Anna and even locking them away. If Olaf said that she was fine, she most definitely was. Still, Elsa needed to make sure that Sigurd left for good this time. He wouldn't bother the people of Arendelle ever again.

The balcony door burst open. "Where did you take it?" Sigurd demanded.

Elsa's grip on the railing tightened for a second. She thought of her sister and how her life depended on her. Taking another deep breath, and without turning around, she replied, "I take it you didn't find what you were looking for."

"Of course I didn't. This place is empty, which begs the question, where did you take it?" Sigurd insisted.

Now Elsa turned around. "You keep claiming that I'm helping this monster you seek, but what evidence do you have of this?"

Sigurd's face reddened. "I don't have any evidence nor I need it. I know that you did it."

"And yet, as you yourself said, this place is empty. There is no monster here, and if you are still here only to complain about it, then I would ask that you leave immediately. I don't have time for bickering."

Sigurd tried to regain his composure. "I would have no problem with searching everywhere in this kingdom, but—"

"I don't think you understand, _Captain_," Elsa cut him off. "I want you to leave this mountain, and I want you to leave Arendelle. _Now_."

Sigurd seemed unable to reply for a moment… but then he grinned. "No, Your Majesty. I think it's you who doesn't understand. I don't have the time nor the will to waste energy searching for the monster throughout your entire kingdom. Now, tell me where you've hidden it, and I will take what is rightfully mine and leave."

Elsa glared at Sigurd and said nothing.

"I'm impressed, Your Highness," Sigurd said, surprisingly enough not even the slightest hint of sarcasm in his voice. "I've met kings with less strength of will and character than you in my journeys. I could spend here the rest of my life trying to get the information I need out of you, and you would still not say a word." He opened a small leather satchel he was carrying and began searching for something inside of it. "So, perhaps what you need is a little incentive."

To Elsa's horror, he pulled out of the satchel both of Anna's pigtails, holding them right in front of her.

"You obviously recognize whom these belong to," Sigurd said, grinning even more. "Your sister is alive and well, for now. Tell me where you're hiding the monster, and I will let her go."

Elsa's momentary shock quickly became rage. The Heart of the Palace began glowing amber. "You just crossed a line, Sigurd. I was simply trying to scare you before, but now believe me when I tell you that I have no problem with killing you right now."

"Oh, you could do that. In fact, you could kill me and all of my men if you like. But if I don't return to Arendelle within a day, or if any of my men makes it out of this mountain alive and back to the castle to report my demise, your sister will die."

Elsa clenched her fists so hard her arms shook. She had vowed not to kill anyone with her powers, but to protect her loved ones, she was more than willing to break that vow. And yet, this man had just placed her between a rock and a hard place.

She was no longer in control of the situation.

The clouds above became thicker and darker, and the wind began blowing harder all around the Palace, slowly turning into a full-blown blizzard. The Heart of the Palace glowed brighter.

"This display of power will not deter me. You know my conditions. Are you really willing to give up your sister's life to protect a beast?"

Elsa didn't reply.

"Then I guess your sister was right after all," Sigurd concluded. "So be it." He turned around to leave, barking orders to his men as he went.

But Elsa was not about to let this man have the last word. Forgetting about love and focusing all of her anger and hatred, she stomped the icy ground.

Instantly, Sigurd and most of his men became trapped in ice that rose from the ground in the form of icicles around each soldier, effectively immobilizing all of them. Those who had not been trapped ran for cover, unsheathing swords and loading crossbows—except for the Duke's thugs, who chose to remain hidden and do nothing.

"You shall not lay a finger on my sister!" she exclaimed, walking into the room. She caught a glimpse of one of the soldiers raising his crossbow, and before he could even aim it at her, she shot a burst of ice magic at the weapon and sent it flying out of his hand. Another one tried to attack her from behind, but she spun around and covered the man's sword with so much ice he couldn't hold it for long, and then she sent a gust of wind to knock him off his feet.

No one else dared try another move at her.

Seeing that some of the soldiers had already fled downstairs, she rushed back to the balcony and shouted, "Marshmallow, stop them!"

Without hesitation, the towering snowman rose and moved to block off the soldiers' escape route. She saw him get hit by a volley of arrows and spears, which only served to make him mad. The snowman roared furiously, ice spikes appearing all over his body, but he stayed where he was, knowing that the staircase would be too big for him to move freely and that he would inevitably fall. Thus, neither he nor the soldiers moved.

She was starting to walk backwards when she heard the sound of ice shattering, but before she could turn around, her arms and legs became trapped by a pair of bolas, making her fall to the ground with a loud _thud_. She tried to free herself from her bindings, but it was pointless. Then she felt a boot on her shoulder that forced her body on her back.

"Well, you _do_ have spunk, I'll give you that," Sigurd said. There was a man with a hammer in his hand and more bolas hanging from his belt beside him—possibly the one who freed Sigurd from the ice. "I guess you leave me no other choice but to get rid of you." He unsheathed his sword and held the tip at Elsa's throat.

But instead of delivering the coup de grace, he knelt by her side and spoke to her ear. "Just so you know, once I return to your castle, I'm going to have a lot of fun with your sister before I kill her too. Poor Princess Anna, so young and full of life…"

Elsa twitched this way and that after listening to this. She tried to freeze the ropes, but she couldn't even reach them with the tip of her fingers. Sigurd rose and lifted his sword again, this time ready to stab her with it.

Another loud roar pierced the sky—but it wasn't Marshmallow's. Elsa gasped.

Before Sigurd could react, Wintergale had flown into the room through the open balcony door and knocked him away. The dragon whipped the other soldier with its tail before standing between a fallen Sigurd and Elsa.

"Wintergale, stop!" Elsa yelled. "Get out of here!"

But the dragon would not leave her side. As Sigurd tried to get back on his feet, Wintergale stood on her hind legs and extended her wings, roaring again mightily.

"Wintergale, forget about him! Just go!"

Sigurd smirked. "Finally," he said.

Wintergale shot a blast of ice at him, but he dodged the shot and rushed to grab a pair of bolas from the other soldier's belt. With two swift moves, he threw one first at Wintergale's forelegs then the other at her hind legs. The dragon fell just as quickly as Elsa had.

"Oh, ho, ho, for once I'm glad you helped it escape," Sigurd said, standing triumphantly and retrieving his sword from the ground. "It seems like this beast has grown fond of you. What a mistake." He walked to the curving staircase leading downstairs and shouted, "Our quest has ended! Come and see the ice monster for what it truly is!"

Most of the soldiers returned to the room hesitantly until they saw Wintergale defeated and fallen. Then they began shouting with joy and calling the rest of the men to come while Sigurd stood in front of Wintergale who, despite being on the ground, still managed to shoot another blast of ice. Sigurd simply dodged it again and moved to its side.

"Leave her alone," Elsa said.

"Her?" Sigurd asked. Then, noticing the saddle, he seemed to understand. "Oh, you've also grown fond of it. It's your pet now," he mocked her. "Then I guess its death will be more painful for you than your own."

Then he turned to the dragon. "You have no idea of all I had to go through to catch you. But finally, it all ends here and now."

He lifted his sword. Wintergale hissed and snarled and twitched, but she was unable to break the ropes binding her. She looked at Elsa.

"I'm sorry," she said, crying.

Then the ceiling began glowing. It wasn't because of Elsa's emotions, though. Something else was making it glow… something…

Sigurd was distracted by it too. Elsa could also hear the crackling sound of… fire?

The glowing stopped just as soon as it had begun. And then, a massive creature came crashing through it, missing the chandelier only by a few inches. It landed gracefully on the floor, barely able to fit in the room, and roared.

Elsa couldn't believe her eyes. _Another dragon?!_

But this one was a lot different from Wintergale. This one was two or three times bigger and had a more muscular and sturdy build. Its owl-like face had two long spines for eyebrows that branched off its nose and to the side, as well as tentacle-like spiked spines behind them. It had no forelegs, but its hind legs were large and strong, and it had… four wings?

And as if the shock wasn't great enough, a masked figure jumped from its back—a human-looking figure. He wore a simple-looking leather armor covered in blue paint on the right side, large armbands with talons above his hands, boots with spikes on the sides, and a red, torn cape. His leather mask was also covered in blue paint and had horns and tusks protruding from all sides. He held a staff with large hooks on each end in his right hand and a shield also made of leather in his left.

Sigurd seemed too scared to say anything for a second, but he quickly recovered. "Get them!" he ordered.

His soldiers raised their swords and crossbows, but the mysterious warrior moved quickly, twirling his staff in his hand and landing one blow after another. He dodged some arrows and blocked the rest with his shield before knocking out the men who had been bold enough—or dumb enough—to unload their weapons on him. Then he looked at Sigurd who raised his sword and charged. He swung the blade, trying to hit the warrior, but he was quickly overpowered. With two swift moves, the masked man both disarmed and knocked Sigurd unconscious.

Other soldiers came running to their leader's aid, but the four-winged dragon discouraged them by breathing an intense vortex of fire at the room's entrance—melting some of the ice in the process.

The masked man, meanwhile, hurried to use his staff to cut Wintergale's bindings. He did the same with Elsa's before returning to his dragon's side. The dragon lowered its head and allowed him to climb on top of its neck, and then it used its fire to make yet another hole in the wall, large enough for it to fly through. Elsa fully expected them both to leave, but they just stayed there.

"Who are you?" Elsa asked.

The man neither said a word nor made any gesture, but his lack of communication actually spoke volumes.

He was waiting for her to follow him.

Elsa didn't hesitate to climb onto Wintergale's saddle, and only then did this masked man and his dragon fly out of the room. She would've followed him closely, had she not remembered something.

"Wait!" she shouted. "We have to go for Marshmallow!"

The man didn't seem to care.

"We can't just leave him there!"

The man kept flying away. Elsa saw no other choice but to turn back for her dear bodyguard, and she did. Sigurd's men were still keeping a good distance from him.

"Marshmallow, run!" she told the snowman who immediately complied and jumped down to the woods below. Elsa was about to guide him away when suddenly a pair of large paws grabbed him by the arms.

It was the masked warrior's dragon.

Elsa looked at him with gratitude. "Thank you," she breathed.

The man didn't reply. He and his dragon just turned around and flew further into the mountain range, with Elsa trailing closely behind, their destination unknown to her.

* * *

**A/N: And this is where the story starts to become an actual HTTYD/Frozen crossover. Aren't you excited?**

**In case you're still wondering, that _was_ Valka. I used the pronoun "he" because the chapter was written from an outsider (Elsa's) perspective, and to be honest, Valka's first impression when dressed with her "dragon outfit" isn't exactly that of a woman.**

**I find myself again blown away by such a possitive response to Wintergale's name! Thank you all for your reviews!**

******__************************************__****sarah360:**************************************** Why, thank you!************************************ It's always good to get such nice new reviews.  
**_**magiclover13:**_** Thank you! Yep, you were right**; it was Cloudjumper. (I know you asked me not to tell you if you were right or wrong, but since this chapter made his appearance quite obvious...) And I'm glad you liked that sister-to-sister talk. :)  
**__****Pabulover123:**** Hehehe, I'm evil! Well, not really, but I couldn't help doing it. And yeah, I guess that's one good lesson to take from this story ;).  
********__****Crystal12:**** Thanks!** I'm glad you liked the name. It seems like crying uncontrollably is the general reactuin to HTTYD2. I've just seen it one and I still cry when I remember it. I'm still not sure about Hiccup and Elsa, but Toothless and Wintergale _will_ be mates, that's for sure.  
******************************__****White Hunter:** **********Thank you. Did you **like Valka's introduction to this story?  
**************__****Guest:**** I know. Once again, sorry about that.  
********__****alive-in-us:**** Yikes! Thank you for pointing that mistake out; it's fixed now. And also, thank you for everything else. (Kinda sounded like Astrid there, didn I?)****  
****************__****Sephiroth Cresent-Valentine:**** More or less**. I guess it depends on how you think of Valka.  
**************************__****TheWritingFactory:************ Thanks, and sorry if I didn't understand the question.  
**_YouNameIt:_** Yep, it was.** Thank you!  
**********************__************__****kkrraakk: ****Hehehe, don't worry. I tend to do the same thing from time to time. Thanks!**_**  
PascalDragon:**_** Yeah, Kristoff has issues... ;). That's right, ****it was meant to be a synonym to "wintery storm". And don't worry; Part II won't be online until after at least another month (hopefully less than that, though****).** Thanks, Sven!  
**********************__****Cry-Pom:**** Thank you! And thanks also for supporting my plea for spoiler-free reviews. **  
**************************_Azlea:_ Thanks! Your review made my day too. :D  
**_lady:_** Yeah, they definitely needed it. Good thing Valka showed up when she did****************.  
********__****WolfCharm134:**** Thanks! I will absolutely continue writing it**.  


******Next chapter will deal with the origin and history of Furies (the way I think it is). Just a little something to keep you waiting. Only two more chapters to finish Part I!  
**

******Don't forget to review on your way out!**


	10. The Dragon Rider

The flight from the Ice Palace to the masked man's intended destination was a really short one. They hadn't been in the air for five minutes when he and his dragon began descending towards a frozen lake covered in fog in the middle of the mountains over which the moon was barely starting to shine. Elsa followed him, wondering why they hadn't fled deeper into the mountain range.

When they were only a few meters off the ground, the masked man's dragon let go of Marshmallow who barely managed to keep his balance as his momentum carried him forward a couple more meters. Both dragons landed on the ice carefully as to avoid breaking it. Elsa hopped off Wintergale's back, trying to take in her surroundings. She couldn't see a thing through the fog, so she was startled when she made out a shadow approaching her and Wintergale. She raised her hands, getting ready to defend herself if needed.

"Elsa! Wintergale! You're fine!"

Temporarily dumbstruck by the sound of the familiar voice, she nearly jumped when she felt a pair of stick arms wrapping one of her legs. Then it dawned on her that this was the place where Olaf and Sven had first brought Wintergale—and that the one hugging her leg was Olaf.

"Yes, we are," Elsa finally replied, kneeling to return the hug. "What happened? Why did Wintergale show up in the Palace?"

"I don't know," the tiny snowman said. "She began growing restless when the storm above the North Mountain became stronger. She was gone before I could stop her."

Elsa sighed. Wintergale must've sensed that she was in danger. She should've that the dragon wouldn't leave her alone, no matter how much she'd managed to convince her to go with Olaf and Sven in the first place. "Don't worry, Olaf. It wasn't your fault. I was just curious."

Marshmallow drew closer to Elsa's side, his ice spikes still protruding from his body. Olaf looked at him and smiled, letting go of Elsa's leg and running to hug Marshmallow's.

"Brother! You're okay, too!" he exclaimed.

"Little brother Olaf is fine?" Marshmallow asked.

"Yeah, Sven and I are good." Then Olaf seemed to come to a realization. He looked at Elsa. "What happened to your Palace?"

Elsa looked back to the North Mountain. The Palace wasn't entirely destroyed, but the damage would no doubt be extensive… and Sigurd would probably burn it to the ground if possible once he woke up. "That doesn't matter right now, Olaf. We're all alive, and that's something to be grateful for." She noticed that Marshmallow's spikes were beginning to recede—and that his crown was missing.

"Marshmallow, where did your crown go?" she asked him. "Did it fall when we were flying?"

"Bad guys with arrows," he said as he shook his head, a mixture of anger and sadness in his voice. Elsa assumed that one of Sigurd's soldiers had shot the crown off his head.

"Oh, don't worry," she told him, placing a hand on his leg to soothe him. "I'll get it back for you later."

"Hey, you met new friends!" Olaf said, looking past Elsa. She turned around and saw that the warrior and his dragon were approaching the small group. "Hi, I'm Olaf, and I like warm—" he began as he walked towards them, but he was cut off by Elsa grabbing his hand before he could advance any further. She shook her head slightly and pulled him behind her.

"Please," she said to the warrior, "don't think of me as ungrateful, because I really appreciate what you did for us back there… but why? Why are you helping us? And who _are_ you, anyway?"

The man didn't speak. He just lifted his staff and pointed one end at his dragon then at Elsa. The dragon instantly opened its mouth.

"Wait, w-what are you doing?" Elsa asked. There was no reply, but it became evident that the dragon was about to unleash hell on her and her companions. "No, wait!" she exclaimed, lifting her hands as if to try and tell it stop it.

But the dragon didn't stop. It expelled a vortex of fire at her. Instinctively, she shot as strong a stream of ice magic as possible to try and counter the attack. She didn't have to do it for long, though. For as soon as it had begun, it stopped.

Temporarily blinded by the flash and unable to see past her own nose because of the steam caused by the clash of ice and fire, all she could hear was two distinctive roars to her left and to her right—belonging to Marshmallow and Wintergale, respectively—and another roar in front of her. Then she felt a gust of wind against her face that quickly cleared the air and revealed its source to be the four-winged dragon who was batting its wings mightily. To its side, the man stood unmoved, no longer commanding it to attack.

Elsa gestured at Marshmallow and Wintergale to stand down and stay behind her. "Why would you do that?!" she shrieked at the man.

"Sorry about that, but I needed to see it from up close," the warrior spoke—with a distinctively feminine voice. Elsa's jaw dropped. Not only had this mysterious guy finally decided to talk to her, but now it also turned out that the guy was actually a _girl_.

"See what?" was all Elsa could ask, still in shock.

"If you truly had control over the elements," the warrior replied stoically. Elsa frowned. "I saw it before when you were flying on the Ice Fury's back but couldn't believe my eyes. I've been observing you for a few days now, in fact. I don't know who you are, but I must say that I'm impressed by your mastery of such an amazing gift."

"Observing me?" Elsa repeated.

"To determine whether you had what it took to look after this Ice Fury," the woman replied, gesturing with her hand at Wintergale.

"Ice Fury?" Elsa parroted. "Is that what you call her?"

"That's how all dragons of her kind are called."

Elsa was getting more confused by the minute. "Her kind? You mean there are other kinds of dragons out there? How can they still be alive? And how come no one has seen a dragon in so many centuries?"

The warrior shook her head in disbelief. "I suppose I shouldn't expect less from someone like you."

Elsa furrowed her brow even more, slightly offended by those words. "Someone like me?"

"Someone from a world that no longer believes in dragons—a world that has degraded them to mere myths and legends." Elsa opened her mouth to speak, but the warrior held up her right hand, still holding her staff only with her thumb, and spoke first. "I imagine you have a hundred more questions, so if you would let me teach you some history, I believe they will all be answered—or at least most of them, hopefully."

"What? You won't even tell me your name, but you want to teach me some history?"

"My name is not important. What I have to tell you is."

Elsa was starting to lose patience—and it showed. Snow was starting to fall all over the place. "No, I need to return to Arendelle. Sigurd has my sister and her boyfriend, and if I don't get back before he does—"

"We still have plenty of time before that man and his pitiful army returns to your town. After all, we have something they don't," the woman said, patting her dragon.

Elsa wasn't sure what to think. First, this woman appeared out of nowhere and saved her; then, she tried to cook her; and now, she wanted her to just sit and listen to a story? For better or for worse, though, she was right; the dragons could get them all there faster. Besides, Elsa needed something to calm herself, and even though she didn't want to admit it, she _did_ want to know about the fate and apparent survival of dragons. Perhaps listening to this mysterious person would allow her to focus on something other than Sigurd.

She finally sat down. Olaf and Marshmallow did the same, but Wintergale didn't even rest on her hind legs, though she at least seemed a bit more relaxed than when the four-winged dragon attacked them.

"Hundreds of years ago," the woman began, "dragons used to roam free all over the earth. Humans feared them, but they also respected them, and some even revered and worshipped them. But one day, that fear became so great that it drove humans to hunt and kill dragons. Eventually, all the dragons disappeared from your world—_all_ of them."

"Sorry to interrupt," Elsa said, "but why is it that you keep saying 'your world'? What, are you from another world or something?"

"You could say that, yes," the woman replied. "I'm from the world of dragons—or rather, from the part of this world to which all dragons were forced to flee. Fortunately, humans in this age have chosen to explore and expand their frontiers eastward and westward instead of northward."

"You mean…?"

The woman nodded. "Despite the continuing war between dragons and Vikings, dragons have managed to thrive in the northernmost part of the Earth."

"Vikings?" But that couldn't be. The Viking Age had ended 700 years ago.

The woman chuckled. "You'd be surprised of how much of Viking culture has survived the passing of time. Many Viking tribes have remained isolated from the rest of the world, living in island and coastal regions far to the North, including the one I once belonged to."

Elsa was baffled. "So… you're a Viking?"

"Not anymore," the woman said solemnly after a short pause, lowering her head. There was a trace of regret and longing in her voice. If only Elsa could see her expression behind that mask…

"What happened?" Elsa asked her.

The woman sighed. "Some of us were just born different." When Elsa frowned once more at this statement, she continued. "The island where I used to live has always been a land of 'kill or be killed', but I always thought peace was possible. It was a very unpopular opinion. Then, one night, during a raid, a dragon broke into our house, finding my newborn son in the cradle. Despite my beliefs, I would never have traded the life of my child for that of a dragon, so I rushed to protect him. But what I saw when I arrived at the house was proof of everything I believed." She placed a hand on her dragon's neck. "He was looking at my son with curiosity, almost as if it were his own. Then it looked at me, the child's mother, and I saw in his eyes that this wasn't a vicious beast, but an intelligent, gentle creature whose soul reflected my own."

Elsa was absolutely amazed by this Viking woman's account. In a way, she identified herself with her. She had felt and thought the same thing when she found Wintergale.

"My husband was the chief of the village. He loved me, but he never agreed with my opinion. So, when _he_ arrived at the house, he didn't hesitate to fight the dragon in order to protect us. Of course, the dragon was forced to fight back. He went to save our son first, probably hoping that I would be able to fend the dragon off until he could finish him. But I couldn't even lift the sword. How could I take its life? And when the dragon looked at me again, he seemed to read my thoughts… my soul. So, instead of killing me, he snatched me from the house. All I could hear as the dragon flew me away was the hopeless voice of my husband calling my name. I never saw him or my son again, but I know in my heart that they're still alive and well."

"I'm sorry," Elsa said.

"Don't be," the woman replied, recovering her firm and confident voice. "Like I said, I'm no longer a Viking. I'm more of a dragon—always have been. They always were my passion, and that passion only grew after I was taken. I'll admit, I was afraid at first, but after a day or so of travel, it became apparent that this dragon didn't want to kill me. Every once in a while during our flight, he would look down at me with peaceful eyes, making sure I was fine. Then we finally reached our destination, even farther away to the North. It was a dragons' nest—an enormous, magnificent cave encased in ice. And its creator was no other than a Bewilderbeast, the king of all dragons. We're talking about a gigantic sea dragon that breathes ice and is capable of controlling other dragons. When I was brought before him, I feared for my life once again, but the Bewilderbeast must've seen the same thing that Cloudjumper did, for it just welcomed me with open arms… so to speak."

_Cloudjumper?_ Elsa wondered. Then she looked at the four-winged, owl-like dragon and assumed that it was the one the woman was talking about. _Nice name._

"It's been 15 years since that day, and I've spent each of them rescuing dragons, saving them from both certain death at the hands of other bloodthirsty Vikings and a life of slavery and suffering under Drago Bludvist's command."

"Who?" Elsa asked.

"I've become wary and distrusting of other humans," the woman continued, ignoring Elsa's question. "No person has ever given me a reason to trust them… until now."

She looked at Elsa who suddenly lost all interest in her previous doubt. What could she have done to earn this warrior woman's trust?

Almost like she could read her mind, the woman said, "There are some things you need to know first."

"Just some?"

The woman looked away, to the horizon. "What I'm about to tell you is something I'm not entirely sure about myself. I've been collecting bits and pieces of information over the last decade, but it wasn't until recently that I found a vital piece of the puzzle, allowing me to decipher and understand it all about your dragon and her kind's history.

"Long ago, a Viking called Bork took the initiative of studying and classifying dragons in order for future generations to know their so-called enemy and how to fight them. He wrote a book, the Book of Dragons, from most of his field notes, but he kept some of them to himself, mostly whenever he believed that they referred to general folklore rather than actual dragons. He passed down all of his lifework, including said notes, to his descendants. I was a friend of the latest of them, and after some time of knowing each other, one night he finally allowed me access to Bork's private archive. That was the same night I was taken. I had the notes regarding mythological dragons in my hand when they attacked, and in my haste to go out and help, I lost the pages… but I still remember every single word written in them.

"Among those notes, I found some mentioning the existence of dragons capable of becoming as black as night itself or as white as the purest snow at will, and of breathing fire or ice. No one had seen them before, and even Bork was never able to get close to them, but he did find their nest—a snowy mountain in the mainland. According to him, even from a distance one could see the sheer amount of dark shadows flying around the mountain, guarding it at night, and during the day, when the black shadows were gone and he tried to get close to their nest, the snow would stare at him with thousands of blue eyes. Bork believed that this was not one single dragon species but two separate, yet related, species. He called them Night Furies and Ice Furies, respectively.

"Around the time I was taken, Night Furies had already been attacking my village for some time, along with some other dragon species, and so Gobber—Bork's descendant—had updated the Book of Dragons to include them in its pages, even when they were still a mystery. Ice Furies, however, had never appeared anywhere. I was intrigued after reading about them, and after Cloudjumper and I bonded, I decided to finish Bork's work and learn about Ice Furies. Bork's notes included the exact location of the Furies' mountain, so I traveled there. But when I arrived, I found nothing. The place was completely devoid of life.

"I wasn't sure if it was some sort of trap or something, so I had to gather every last bit of courage inside of me to venture inside the mountain caves. There were ice blasts covering the walls, similar to those of the Bewilderbeast but much smaller, and the amount of snow almost made the tunnels impassable. It took me a while to find them… hundreds of skeletons belonging to both dragons _and_ humans. It was a terrifying scene. Today I feel like I desecrated a graveyard.

"I also found lots of eggshells, which served to confirm Bork's theory that this was the Furies' nest. I knew for a fact that Night Furies were still alive, so I could only assume that a human army of dragon slayers eradicated most of them and drove the rest away—which resulted in them being forced to seek refuge far away from their home.

"It would later turn out that I was right."

There was a deep sadness in her words. This woman _mourned_ the loss of so many dragons more than the loss of human life. Had she met her before finding Wintergale, she'd probably have considered her a mad person. But having met Wintergale first, Elsa was starting to feel the same sadness as the story progressed, mostly because she imagined how lonely Wintergale would've been without others like her. Why would anyone do such a thing? Why kill an entire species like that? And yet, she knew firsthand how powerful fear could be and what it could force people to do.

"Years later, I found an ice cave in the middle of the ocean, only a few days West of the mainland. It was the lair of another Bewilderbeast, but it was abandoned, and even on the outside, it showed signs of a battle taking place there long ago. And when we entered it…" There was a long pause. Even with that mask on, the woman looked troubled. "There were several shipwrecks, human remains by the hundreds with their weapons scattered everywhere… and the remains of the Bewilderbeast itself… with a massive harpoon still embedded in its skull. But if that weren't enough, I also found its carbonized eggs… It was heartbreaking.

"Later, on the bow of the largest shipwreck, I found a massive weapon. It had Drago's signature all over it. I had seen them before—large tubes capable of spitting fireballs at great speed. This one, though, wasn't designed to shoot fire. I believe he used it to shoot that harpoon on the poor Bewilderbeast's head."

This was the second time that she mentioned the name 'Drago', but by now, Elsa knew better than to ask about it. It was obvious, however, that whoever this Drago character was, he despised dragons and had the means to eradicate them. Of course she recognized the weapon the woman had described; it was a cannon, one capable of dealing the killing blow to even the biggest dragons such as the one the warrior had mentioned. No wonder she hated him.

"I could stand it no more and thought of leaving that place in that instant, but something compelled me to stay. There was something else about this place. Along with the characteristic ice blasts from a Bewilderbeast, there were smaller blasts everywhere on the ground. Soon I discovered that, along with the human remains, there were Furies' skeletons by the dozens, all with swords and spears and arrows piercing their bones. They probably were the last Ice Furies… and now they were gone…

"I figured that they had taken refuge in this Bewilderbeast's home, only to meet their end at the hands of a merciless madman. That was too much for me to handle, so I hopped on Cloudjumper's back and took flight… but then, when we took off and I was able to see the scene from above, I realized that most of the Furies' skeletons formed a perfect circle and that they were arranged in such a way that they were protecting something. In fact, they were all facing to the center of the circle—to a considerably large ice formation. We landed close to it… and that's where I found her."

For the first time in a while, she looked back to her small audience, namely at Wintergale. She dropped her shield and staff and approached the Ice Fury ever so slowly. The white dragon snarled, but the woman was not deterred. With each step she took, Wintergale's defiant attitude faded more and more, until she was finally able to place her hand on the dragon's head. And in that instant, Wintergale lost all of her fierceness and crooned softly. Elsa was speechless, in awe of this woman—this dragon rider and tamer.

"Oh, she's beautiful," the woman said. "When I found her encased in ice in that cave, I felt a spark of hope. Even to their dying breath, the last members of this magnificent species had devoted themselves to save at least one of their own from such a bloody fate. They sacrificed themselves to ensure that she wouldn't suffer.

"Despite what I felt each time I saw that overwhelmingly sad battle scenario, I kept visiting that cave—visiting _her_—whenever possible. Each time I was there, I daydreamed of this Ice Fury freeing itself from its ice shell and flying away to find another one of her kind, no matter how absurd it could seem. I imagined all the things, all the secrets that I could learn from them if such a thing happened. But I never actually thought I'd get to see her like this—alive and well.

"Then, a year ago, there was an unnatural change in the weather. No matter how far to the South I went, there was ice and snow everywhere I looked. Even the ocean was frozen solid. For some reason, after several wintery days, I felt compelled to go to the cave, but when I arrived, I was horrified to see that there was a huge gap in the ice where she used to be. There was also a new ship—not a shipwreck, but a perfectly functional ship, if only with some minor damage. Its crew probably found the cave and decided to seek refuge from a storm. I found several tracks leading from the ship to the Ice Fury's tomb, and from there they lead away from the cave towards the mainland, across the frozen sea.

"Someone had taken her. I couldn't—I _wouldn't_—let them do it, whoever 'they' were, so Cloudjumper and I went looking for them. I followed their tracks all the way to the mainland within hours. They probably had been traveling for days by now to get that far. And suddenly, the inclement weather stopped. It all happened in an instant. The ice and snow were gone, and the sea was thawed. The forests were green once more—and among the trees, I caught a glimpse of a white blur running away to the North. It was the Ice Fury, no longer frozen… and alive."

Elsa remained silent. She _was_ aware of her involvement in this woman's story and would tell her about it later, but not now. She was still trying to cope with the fact that Wintergale's fate was more closely related to Elsa's than what she'd previously thought. After all, had she not unleashed an eternal winter and then undone it, her dragon would still be trapped in that ice.

"I didn't care about learning who the trappers were anymore. I just began looking for the white dragon. It ran fast, almost as much as a Night Fury in midflight, and it didn't stop to rest until it reached its destination a couple of days later—the Fury Mountain. Fast though he is, Cloudjumper was unable to keep up the pace with the Ice Fury, and we were finally forced to land and rest, still a day away from the mountain. By the time we were able to reach it, the dragon was gone.

"I couldn't find an explanation as to why the dragon would journey back to that place after everything that had happened there. Moreover, I couldn't understand why it hadn't flown all the way there. I was starting to think that my efforts to rescue and bring the dragon back home with me would ultimately be in vain, but I searched for it in the vicinity of the mountain nonetheless. And as chance would have it, this search wouldn't prove useful, for while I didn't find the Ice Fury, I did find something I hadn't seen the first time I'd been there. To the East and only a day's journey from the mountain, to the side of a cliff, there was a large village… an abandoned village, destroyed and burned to the ground long ago.

"I had a feeling that it could be important, so I went down to take a closer look. It didn't take me long to realize that this human settlement had been attacked by dragons. There were many scorch marks, but they all belonged to the same kind of dragon. I recognized them from those found in my village after any given dragon raid in the past. They belonged to Night Furies.

"There were very few human remains—which was understandable, considering who had been behind this attack. But much to my surprise, there were no less than a dozen Furies' skeletons, all with arrows or spears stuck between the bones. The whole village had been leveled, except for the one building carved into the cliff rather than made with wood. It was the village archive. Their entire recorded history was in there, from the moment of its foundation to its very last minutes of existence. The latter must've been written down by those who sought shelter inside the building. Those records confirmed my theory that the village had been attacked solely by Night Furies… and also shed some light on the reason why it happened."

Elsa noticed that the dragon rider's hands were trembling. Had she found something even more shocking in that archive than what she'd found in the mountain and the ice cave?

"The village chieftain had rallied men from several Viking tribes to eradicate the dragons living in the mountain, despite the fact that none of them had ever raided a single human settlement," the woman continued. There was rage in her words, and Elsa realized that the trembling hands were not because of shock or sadness but because of the anger she felt. "These people lived of farming and hunting, but some of the villages they traded with depended on fishing to survive, and apparently there was a shortage of fish at some point because the Furies used to harvest those waters to feed themselves. Those other villages sought the help of this chieftain who had fought other dragons in the past, and he didn't hesitate to eradicate the Furies. It probably was with the purpose of earning the loyalty of those people so he could later control them.

"Among the region dwellers, it was widely known that the black dragons guarded the mountain at night while the white dragons went fishing and that the opposite thing happened during the day. The chieftain believed that it would be easier to fight the ice-breathing dragons rather than the fire-breathing ones, so they assaulted the mountain one day in broad sunlight when the Night Furies were nowhere around, in the hopes that by eliminating the white dragons, the black ones would leave. Most of the people he rallied paid a steep price by doing so, but their quest was successful. They killed most of the white dragons and destroyed their nest.

"There were only a few dragons that survived the attack by fleeing the mountain, carrying their eggs and even some newborn babies in their paws. The record proudly included accounts of the people who shot most of them out of the sky and how they reveled in seeing the eggs shatter and the babies fatally wounded upon falling.

"The following night, the Night Furies had laid waste to the village.

"Learning all this had me thinking a lot. Why would the Night Furies destroy this place _and_ leave afterwards? If the menace was gone, why didn't they stay? But then a thought occurred to me, a crazy thought which could seem impossible… and yet, it gave sense to everything else."

She paused and looked at Elsa. "Did you get the same feeling I got around this Ice Fury—that it was a female?" Elsa nodded. "Well, that's because she _is_. All Ice Furies are females," she stated with absolute certainty.

"What?" Elsa asked. "How can you possibly know that?"

"I don't _know_, but it's the only possible explanation. Night Fury sightings had been decreasing each year in every Viking village by the time I was taken. That shouldn't be happening. Even after leaving their original home, there should've been enough of them to reproduce. Their numbers should've been growing or at least remained the same, which could only mean they'd been dying off, either of old age or killed by other dragons or Vikings—all because there are no females to mate with anymore."

There can be any number of reasons for that," Elsa tried to argue, but she couldn't even get to her next sentence.

"Yes, but this is the only one that explains everything. Why else would Ice Furies also be near extinction? And why would they behave like that?"

"Behave how?"

"Of the few ones that tried to escape the massacre, _all_ were carrying eggs and babies in their paws, remember? They could've flown away with greater ease without the additional weight, especially considering that their precious cargo required a more delicate flight, but they _wouldn't_ leave the young ones behind. That's maternal instinct! This Ice Fury here must've been among the last surviving youngsters in the Bewilderbeast's lair. Drago and his soldiers must've killed the rest, and when the older Furies became aware of this, they all gave up their lives to save her. Again, that's what a mother would do!"

The dragon rider seemed overly excited about all this. Elsa wouldn't know about motherhood as she was not a mother, but this woman was, so she should take her word for it. Besides, it did make sense. _But…_ "But that would mean that the older Furies knew she would survive inside the ice."

"Yes! I read in the Book of Dragons about another kind of dragon—the Skrill—that could also stay safely frozen for decades because of their internal body temperature, but that's not the point. What matters is that Bork and all Vikings after his time had it all wrong for centuries! Night Furies and Ice Furies are not two different kinds of dragons but one single species, with males and females having their own unique characteristics!"

Then, all of a sudden, she sobered up. "That's also why the Night Furies attacked that village. It was a retaliation strike, an act of vengeance for the murder of their mates and offspring. It's also why they didn't stay in the mountain after the threat was gone. They had no reason to stay. Their families were gone."

"Families? So, what, you think the Furies were social animals, like wolves?"

"Absolutely, and perhaps even more so. Think of it. Night Furies fishing during the day and Ice Furies fishing during the night. They took turn to feed themselves _and_ to bring food to the baby Furies. They took care of each other, both males and females using their respective camouflaging abilities to remain concealed while guarding the mountain."

Elsa thought about all this for a moment. Then she considered something. "You said there were Bewilderbeast eggs in that ice cave?"

"Yes."

"And you didn't find any other dragon remains other than those of the Bewilderbeast and the Furies, right?"

"Yes, why?"

"Could it be possible that the Ice Furies' maternal instinct also inspired them to stay in the Bewilderbeast's lair specifically to take care of its eggs as well as of their offspring?"

The dragon rider seemed to mull this over for a few seconds. "Yes," she said slowly and with a pensive tone. "Yes, of course! They all probably chose that specific location as their new home to take care of the Bewilderbeast's eggs along with their own surviving babies. Now that's something that hadn't occurred to me before. Nice thinking, young girl."

Elsa smiled. Listening to this woman and even participating in her theories had helped her clear her mind and calm down. And while Wintergale's was a somewhat tragic story, at least now she wasn't alone. Who knew? Maybe one day a Night Fury would show up somewhere and the dragon rider would be able to bring the two Furies together. She chuckled at the thought of baby Furies. If they were half as cute as Wintergale could be on occasion, then she'd be in for a treat with her baby dragons someday.

"Of course, after finding that record and realizing everything I just told you, I couldn't just let this Ice Fury get herself killed, so I began searching for her again. It took me a couple of months, but I finally began to distinguish a pattern—villages mysteriously thrown into a short-lived winter from North to South of the mainland. Eventually, I found the dragon as it fled from one village to another. Again, it was running. I tried to get close to her whenever I managed to catch up with it, but it ran away each time. It always ran. I can only assume that she decided to behave less like a dragon to avoid being caught and slain as easily as her relatives were—and that included flying. In the end, I…" She paused when Elsa began shaking her head. "What?"

"That's not it," Elsa said. "At least not entirely. When I first tried to convince Wintergale to fly me home, she looked terrified, almost as if she believed she'd die the moment she even tried to take flight. Maybe she was one of the newborn babies that survived. I mean, imagine if you were only a few days old and saw how other dragons fell to the ground while flying away from your home as you are carried in your mother's arms… or paws, or whatever. The thing is, as a child, one perceives the world in a different way. Believe me, I know."

The rider seemed deep in thought. "A dragon with fear of flying, all because of a horrible childhood memory," she murmured. "That's a first. It makes sense, though. Anyway, in the end, I thought it would be better if I just kept my distance and gave her the means to survive without her knowing. Did you know that Stormcutters like Cloudjumper here can breathe fire on seawaters long enough to evaporate enough of the water and make it rain for a short time over a small region?"

Elsa gave the rider a double take. "You have been causing the rain that Wintergale turned to snow and used to sneak into Arendelle?"

"Only after she took longer than usual to leave her hiding place and head towards another village, just in case. She's really smart, as you already know. Not many dragons can come up with such creative ways to alter their environment."

Wintergale walked closer to Elsa who looked briefly at Olaf and Marshmallow before wrapping her arm around her dragon's neck. Olaf seemed fascinated with this woman's story, while Marshmallow remained serious. She considered the rider's words. "Yes, she is," she agreed with her last statement.

The dragon rider then picked up her shield and staff and moved away from the icy lake they'd been standing on, towards the rather small cave where Sven was sleeping. Elsa and her snowmen followed her. She had Cloudjumper light a small fire on the ground and then sat down with a heavy sigh. "I've talked long enough, and you already know where this story ends. I could use a story myself, so I think now it's your turn to tell me one, miss…"

It wasn't until now that Elsa remembered she hadn't had the chance to introduce herself. "Oh, sorry. I'm Queen Elsa of Arendelle." She mentioned her royal title without pride but humbly.

"Queen?" the rider repeated. "So you _are_ royalty."

Elsa blinked. "You knew? But you said you didn't know who I was."

"I didn't, but I guessed as much. Ice Palace, elegant outfit—it wasn't that hard to deduce. Except that I thought you were a princess, not a _queen_."

Elsa shrugged. "It's been only a year since my coronation."

The rider nodded—and at last, she took her mask off, allowing Elsa to see her face. Judging by the fact that she'd mentioned having a child over fifteen years ago, she'd expected to see someone… older. This woman, however, looked amazingly young. She had beautiful light green eyes and light olive skin, not to mention that slim figure—not exactly what she'd imagined a Viking woman to be. Her expression was hard to read, though. She showed no emotion in her face, almost making the removal of the mask pointless.

"You intrigue me, Queen Elsa," she said. "Perhaps as much as this Ice Fury. I want to know who you are and what made this dragon trust you so much—beside your powers over the elements."

"Actually, my magic is limited to ice and snow. I can't control everything else."

"Oh. My mistake. Still, there has to be something else that brought you and this dragon together."

Elsa scoffed. "You wouldn't believe me if I told you that I may have more to do with the circumstances that brought Wintergale back to life."

And during the next two hours, Elsa shared her own life story with the dragon rider, from the moment when she learned as a child that she had ice powers, to the incident with Anna, to her years of isolation, to her parents' demise, to her coronation day and the events that followed, to her learning that love was the key to controlling her abilities, and finally to the present day. The rider listened carefully _and_ silently, only nodding every now and then. Elsa took care to voice her own thoughts regarding the timing of the events that brought those men to the ice cave and allowed for Wintergale's resurrection.

It was well past midnight by the time she'd finished telling her story, including the most recent events such as her encounter with Sigurd and Wintergale. The rider remained silent for a while after that. Olaf and Marshmallow, and even Wintergale and Cloudjumper, had all fallen asleep by now, so it was just the two of them awake. Again, it was easier to read this woman's body language, scarce though it was, than her facial expression.

"Let me get this straight," she finally said. "You built that Ice Palace all by yourself?"

"Yes," Elsa replied, the slightest hint of pride in her voice.

"Wow. It's a beautiful place, I must say. I'm sorry I had to damage it."

"That's okay. If I could build it from scratch, I'm sure I'll be able to fix it."

Elsa nearly fell backwards when the woman smiled at her. "I like your confidence, Queen Elsa. You sure have come a long way from that fearful young lady you used to be. And now I see why you were able to bond so closely with Wintergale. I like that name, by the way."

"Thank you. My sister Anna helped me choose it."

The sole mention of Anna brought Elsa back to reality. Sigurd would probably be already on his way back to Arendelle, and even while it would still take him a day or so to get there, the fact was that her sister had her days numbered unless she returned to save her.

"I mentioned before that I had found no reason to trust any other human in a long time until I met you," the woman said, "and I still mean that. In a way, you, just like me, have the soul of a dragon. No one else would've had mercy for the Ice Fury like you did. Under other circumstances, I would let you keep Wintergale, knowing that her life is in good hands, but…"

Elsa's heart skipped a beat. "But?"

The rider sighed. "That man, Sigurd, will keep harassing you and your people for as long as he knows that you are protecting his price. Wherever he came from, he obviously has some degree of charisma if he managed to gather such an army from so many towns and villages. Even if you managed to make him leave, he'd probably bring reinforcements with him in the future… and I don't think you'd take the alternative of killing him. So, as long as this Ice Fury is here, both she and your kingdom won't be safe. And no matter how hard you try to keep her from all harm, eventually you will be forced to make a choice between Wintergale's life and the lives of your loyal subjects—and your loved ones. I can't allow that."

"What are you saying, exactly?" Elsa asked with concern.

"I'm saying that it might be in Wintergale's best interest to come with me, back to my dragon sanctuary. She will be safe there, and she won't be alone. There may not be any Furies there, but she will have more dragons to get along with at least."

Elsa looked at a peacefully sleeping Wintergale. "But… I saved her…"

"And you nearly got her killed today. I don't blame you for what happened back at your Ice Palace, and I know you tried to do your best to protect her, but this is not what you're meant to do. You're a Queen, not a warrior. And even if you _were_, we both know this dragon has seen enough war for a lifetime. She needs to live at peace now."

Elsa shook her head. The mere thought of letting Wintergale go broke her heart. Their destinies were intertwined. How could she get separated from her?

"I know it's not an easy choice to let go of someone you love, so I'll give you some time to think about it," the rider told her calmly as she put her mask back on. "Now get some rest. We only have less than a day to prepare for your return to Arendelle to save your sister."

* * *

_**Reference Notes:**_

**1)** Just a friendly reminder: this story takes place a year after the events of _Frozen_, which ocurred in parallel with episode 14 of _Dragons: Defenders of Berk_ (also titled "Frozen"). I reckon that by said episode, it's been at least a year since HTTYD, so at this point, it's been two years since Hiccup found Toothless—and thus, it's been seventeen years since Valka went missing.

**2)** Based on multiple reliable sources—fan theories, if you must—_Frozen_ takes place in the late 18th century (circa 1780). According to Wikipedia, "The _Viking Age_ was the period from 793 AD to 1066 AD in European history, especially Northern European and Scandinavian history, when Scandinavian Norsemen explored Europe by its seas and rivers for trade, raids and conquest." That means Vikings shouldn't even be around anymore, but for continuity's sake, let's entertain the thought that Vikings managed to get this far while keeping their customs and traditions by staying isolated from the rest of the world.

**3)** Hiccup's words may support the previous argument: "_This is Berk. It's twelve days north of Hopeless, and a few degrees south of Freezing to Death. It's located solidly on the Meridian of Misery._" In other words, Berk is _waaay_ up North. Also, the journey between the dragon sanctuary and Berk in HTTYD2 doesn't take too long, which means they are not that far apart—and the sanctuary seems to be closer to the Arctic Circle than not.

**4)** If Cloudjumper believed that Valka belonged "in the _home_ of the great Bewilderbeast," then the sanctuary already existed by the time he took her there. She may say that the Bewilderbeast "built _our_ nest", but IMHO, I think she just adopted the nest as her own well after the fact.

**5)** My theory of a single species of Furies is more complex than just sexual dimorphism. Both males (Night Furies) and females (Ice Furies) were meant to protect the nest and are physically made to do it, only they had different ways to achieve this. Under the cover of the night, the males could fly all around the mountain and scare off intruders—and if needed be, get rid of them by shooting plasma at their opponents—while the females went to the sea to feed themselves. Then, during the day, the males would go eat while some of the females stayed inside the caves and the rest of them would blend into the snowy environment and stand guard. The females' ice blast may not be as powerful as the males' plasma blast, but it's still enough to defeat an opponent.

**6)** The idea of social Furies came from penguins! As you know, penguins for the most part breed in large colonies, which results in a high level of social interaction between birds. With the exception of the emperor penguin, where the male does it all, all penguins share the incubation duties. These incubation shifts can last days and even weeks as one member of the pair feeds at sea. The same happens with Furies, except that the incubation shifts last only 12 hours each. Of course, Valka wouldn't have been able to compare Furies with penguins because the latter live in the Southern regions of the globe.

**7)** Pay special attention to the part about the village chieftain that wiped out most of the Ice Furies and drove them away, 'cause it will play a pivotal role later on!

* * *

**A/N: When I first began writing this chapter, I didn't intend it to be this long. In fact, it was meant to have a cliffhanger with Elsa returning to Arendelle just as Sigurd is about to [SPOILER]. However, after ten days of writing it, I've finally decided that it would've taken me at least another day or two to update, and, come on, who wants that?!  
**

**Also, as you can see, I did more than just write a chapter this time. I actually took some time to do some research, cross-referencing stuff between franchises and acquiring some historical and scientific data, to make sure to get it all right. You see (and if there are any TFRR fans reading this, you know it's true), I don't like leaving plot holes in my stories, and if I ever do leave one accidentally, I try to fix it somehow. Granted, no story is perfect, and I don't intend mine to be, but I hate simply spitting out information with no solid background to support it. Though I'll have to admit, I'm a bit of a perfectionist most of the time.**

**Anyway, I hope the wait is more than worth it. Please, tell me what you think of my (Valka's and Elsa's) theories. I enjoy reading your comments and thoughts. Speaking of which...**

**24 reviews! That's the most reviews I've received for a single chapter. Ever. In any of my stories. I'm overwhelmed! I'll try to reply to as many as possible right now, but please understand that I'm uploading this chapter at nearly 8 am local time, after dedicating myself to transcribing the last few pages from my notebook to the computer since 1 am... and I still have to finish my homework for today... aaand I've got less than an hour to do it. So, if you don't find a reply to your review here in the next 12 hours, don't worry (and please, don't kill me). I'll reply to any missing reviews for Chapter 9 as soon as I get back from school, so keep refreshing the page until you find your reply.  
**

**Now, let's get on with it:**

**********__************************************__****RedApple435:**************************************** In that case, I hope this chapter has met your expectations************************************. Thanks!  
**_****************__**alive-in-us**_:** Phew, thank goodness! And thank you! I'm glad you liked that entrance. Did you like this one?**  
**__****Cry-Pom:**** Thanks, I will! Glad you liked it.  
********__****lady:**** Hahaha, you bet! And don't worry, Elsa will do something to get rid **of them... but I won't spoil it for you. ;)  
******************************__****Jenson22:** **********Thank you! Unfortunately, we're still a ways **before we get to that meeting.  
**************__****OpalLynx:**** Hehe, don't worry about getting off track; I do it sometimes. I share your thoughts and feelings about HTTYD2. And thank you fur such a wonderful review! I loved it!  
********__****magiclover13:**** Okay, that has to be one of the best reviews in history (no offense to the rest; I love them all, but this one was special).**** It made me laugh so hard and kept me smiling for two days straight. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!  
************************__****PascalDragon:**** Don't you worry about Anna and Kristo****ff, they'll be just fine.** Thanks for your review, Sven!  
**********************__****YouNameIt:**** Thank you! I hope this chapter answered most of your questions (except for the one about Hiccup and Elsa; sorry, you'll have to wait a bit longer). **The kindred spirit is none other than Wintergale; you know, ice powers, both of them lonely and living in fear, you name it. (No pun intended.)  
**************************_Rat001:_ *choking from the tight hug* Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. :)  
**_Hang Tuah:_** I'm glad you're enjoying it and hope this chapter was of your liking****************. And yeah, I can say that there are plans to have Wintergale and Toothless become mates... eventually. Thank you!  
********__****SerenityQuill:**** Yes, he is. But don't worry, he'll get his due. I'm glad you like this story. And could you please PM me with an example of what you mentioned about sentence structure, please? It's just that I'm a bit confused by the example you gave. Thanks!**

**********Chapter 11 should be easier to write now that I've gotten this one out of the way... hopefully. I'll try to update within five days tops. In the meantime... well, you already know the drill. Have a nice day!**

**********P.S.: Any Once Upon A Time fans here? And if so, are you as excited as I am about the cast for the new season? Please, share your thoughts!**

* * *

**********UPDATE: Here are the replies to the missing reviews:  
**

**********__************************************__****UnknownBlackHand:**************************************** Sorry, it's still gona take a few more chapters before that. Anna might be able to deal with Sigurd's men if she wants to... we'll get to see if she does on the next chapter************************************. Thanks!  
**_****************__**Pabulover123**_:** Valka definity has a flair for the dramatic! And Sven is such a cool reindeer! I'm glad you liked it.**  
**__****Guest:**** Thank you! I'm sorry I didn't update sooner, but I still hope you liked this chapter.  
********__****White Hunter:**** Now you know where she took them, and don't worry, the sisters will see each other again soon**.  
******************************__****Guest:** **********Hmmm... interesting suggestion. Might feel inclined to do it if the story allows for it**. Thank you!  
**************__****Just curious:**** She will, but not anytime soon. You'll know when she does. ;)  
********__****Guest:**** Yeah, I actually do. I haven't changed the outfit yet because, as Elsa was just beginning to ride on Wintergale's back, she hadn't really needed it in the long term, but she will definitely get a new outfit. And as for Toothless and Wintergale meeting... let's just say that Wintergale might be a little tough to impress****.  
************************__****Crystal12 (********************************two-in-one reply to both of your reviews)**:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked her introduction. And Elsariding on Wintergale's back during the battle, that definitely would be something awesome**! Revise that, it _will_ be awesome.  
**********************__****Vivian Wilder:**** I'm glad you like it and hope this chapter met your expectations as well**. Thank you for your review!  
**************************_Angryhenry:_ Neither of them. As I mentioned in another reply this morning, the kindred spirit is Wintergale. I hope you like the story, and thank you for reviewing!**  


**************P.S. 2: I forgot to ask, is any of you OUAT fans also a Fringe fan? Please let me know if you are, 'cause I want to celebrate with you the fact that ETTA BISHOP WILL BE ELSA! (Sorry, fanboy moment there.)**


	11. Farewell

The door to Elsa's room burst open and hit the wall so hard it bounced back and almost closed again. Both Anna and Kristoff jumped from the bed, startled. She didn't even have time to react before she felt a hand grabbing her by the arm and pulling her out of the bed. She caught a glimpse of someone else doing the same with Kristoff.

"You'd better be wrong about your sister, Princess, or you will regret it for the rest of your short life!" a voice filled with rage hissed into her ear as she was dragged away from the room.

Though a bit disoriented at first, Anna quickly recovered from the rather sudden awakening and prepared for another round with Sideburns. "I take it you found nothing at my sister's Palace," she said, grinning.

"On the contrary. I found your sister with my ice-breathing monster—and a fire breathing one helping them both!"

"What?" Anna said, momentarily unable to keep her disguise as she tried to process what she'd just heard. Was this some kind of ruse from Sigurd's part to make her talk or something like that?

But she knew it wasn't. She had seen the shadow of another dragon two nights ago just after Olaf and Sven had left for Elsa's Palace, after all. That gave her hope. If that shadow had helped Elsa and Wintergale, that meant they had a new ally against Sigurd—one that was bringing _fire_ into the mix. Things should get interesting.

She recovered her defiant stance and chuckled. "Oh, you must be really mad right about now, aren't you?"

Sigurd let go of her and slapped her in the face so hard she fell to the floor. She heard Kristoff shout her name and rush to her side. He put his arm around her, trying to help her get up—right before hearing a _thud_ and feel him fall on top of her. Blood oozed from a large cut on his forehead.

"Pick him up!" Sigurd ordered. Then he forced Anna on her feet and kept dragging her. "We shall see if you keep that smile on your face by the time I'm done with you two."

Anna wanted to reply and make him angrier, but that slap had weakened her resolve. In fact, that comment about her smile was pointless now, since she was no longer smiling. She tasted blood, and her cheek felt swollen. She was surprised he hadn't broken her jaw, but one thing was for sure: he wouldn't break her loyalty to her sister, no matter what he tried to do.

They reached the courtyard, which was packed with Sigurd's men once more. The soldiers carrying Kristoff put a gag on his mouth and tied his hands and feet up. Then Sigurd hit Anna's knees from behind, bending them and forcing her to kneel.

"Behold, Princes Anna of Arendelle!" he announced mockingly. "Let her be an example to those who would challenge us and our righteous quest to rid the world of the ice monster!"

The soldiers cheered and hollered and chanted Sigurd's name while he spoke into Anna's ear again. "I considered humiliating you in front of my men and your boyfriend before killing you, but I've already had enough of you and your sister. At this point, I'll take greater pleasure in torturing you."

Anna made an effort to look into Sideburns' eyes. "Go ahead. It's your funeral. Elsa will come to rescue us, and then she'll make you beg for mercy."

"Oh, I'm counting on her coming here, and I'm sure she _will_ try to rescue you. The question is, how many fingers and unbroken bones will you have left by the time she arrives?"

He beckoned a soldier holding a pair of large shears in his hands. Another two of them held Anna still while Sigurd took the shears and grabbed her right hand. "So shall be made to those who would side with the beast!"

The soldiers went into uproar. They were craving for Anna's blood. Kristoff tried to shout and free himself, but it was pointless. His bindings looked tight enough. Anna felt the cold, sharp edges of the blades grazing her right thumb. She closed her eyes.

"Please, Elsa," she pleaded silently, her façade of bravado finally undone.

A loud, piercing roar let her know that her plea had been heard and was about to be answered. She looked up—everyone did, in fact—to see a pair of winged figures flying low overhead, slowly climbing up higher and higher. The roars was different from Wintergale's, so those had to be both Wintergale _and_ the other dragon Sigurd had mentioned—the one she'd seen before as well. But they weren't flying towards the castle but _away_ from it, to the sea.

They were leaving Arendelle.

Anna's sudden spark of hope nearly faded away. Part of her thought that Elsa was abandoning her to her fate. But as everyone else kept looking to the sky, she suddenly noticed that the stone floor on the courtyard was becoming covered in ice. It reminded her of the day after the Great Thaw, when Elsa turned the courtyard into an ice rink, except that this ice looked less pristine.

Sigurd looked back at Anna with hate, only to finally notice the ice. His lips quivered slightly.

Without warning, dozens of ice spheres emerged from the frozen ground and formed around the soldiers, trapping all of them in several groups. A thick, icy mist appeared out of nowhere and filled the air everywhere, preventing her—and probably Sigurd too—from seeing anything past their own noses. The sound of thumping made by the soldiers trying to break out of their impromptu prisons was momentarily eclipsed by the creaking of the gates being opened. Sigurd dropped the shears, forced Anna on her feet again, and pulled his knife from its sheath, bringing it to her throat.

"Drop it," Anna heard an all too familiar voice say firmly. She felt brave and confident enough to smile once more.

"You are so done for," she told Sigurd.

He didn't reply. He just pressed the blade against her skin. Then a screech—Wintergale's—was heard in the distance.

"That's the sound of your ice monster getting away from Arendelle forever, to a place where you will never find it again," Elsa said. "It's over, Sigurd. Let my sister go and I will let you and your men leave my kingdom with your lives."

As Elsa spoke, her voice seemed to come from everywhere. Sigurd kept looking around him, and the only reason why he didn't seem scared witless was probably because he still had Anna hostage.

"I'm being _extremely_ merciful with you, Captain. I could've frozen your heart by now, you know. In fact, if you don't relent, I _will_ freeze your heart and those of your soldiers—and it's not a pleasant experience. Just ask my sister; I've already done it to her once."

Anna immediately caught her sister's drift. "It's true. It hurts only for a moment when it happens, and you don't feel the effects right away, but after a few hours you start getting colder and colder to the point where you can no longer warm yourself up with anything. The pain becomes unbearable with each passing minute until you think it can't get any worse, and yet it does. Your extremities literally freeze, and you can feel how every bone in your body slowly turns into ice, and you believe they will shatter if you make the slightest move, but they don't. And finally, in an instant, everything goes black."

Sigurd seemed somewhat afraid now. He scoffed. "You wouldn't do that. You could've done it back at your Palace, but you chose to trap me in ice. You don't have it in you."

Elsa's voice became filled with mock sorrow complete with sobs. "I returned from my Ice Palace after a few days of rest, only to find that the ice monster was attacking the brave soldiers staying in my castle. I rushed to help them, but it was too late. The monster had already frozen everyone. I had to use my own ice powers to fight it and scare it away, but the damage was already done. I couldn't save them. I couldn't save any of them."

Now even Anna was getting scared. She had fully expected Elsa to arrive on Wintergale's back and deliver some punches or maybe just scare these people away. Obviously she hadn't arrived on Wintergale's back. Okay, that was passable. But this… this was more than just a bluff. Even her voice sounded creepy… full of evil. Elsa really was prepared to do something unspeakable.

This wasn't her sister anymore.

"Your people will never believe such a preposterous story. They'll know it was you," Sigurd argued.

"Oh, will they? How much do they really know? They've been locking themselves up inside their homes every night for almost two weeks, unable to see anything that's happening outside. My servants and guards are imprisoned in the dungeons. _You_ put them there, remember? So, who will be able to say otherwise?"

Sigurd's hand shook almost imperceptibly. Almost.

"This is your last chance. Drop. The. Knife."

Anna's heart beat rapidly. This was getting out of hand. Sigurd was cornered, and cornered mad men like him tended to do reckless things, perhaps believing that it would be better not to go down without a fight. She thought Sigurd would just slit her throat in the end out of desperation. But the funny thing was, she wasn't as afraid of dying as she was of watching her sister become the monster she'd tried so hard not to be.

Sigurd's hand became steady at last, and he chuckled, apparently having lost his fear—or his mind. Anna closed her eyes, half-expecting to feel the sharp steel cut through her flesh and sever her throat.

Instead, he let go of her, pushing her aside.

For a couple of seconds, Anna was hesitant to reopen her eyes. Had Sigurd actually decided to comply with Elsa's demands, or was he about to drive the blade elsewhere into her body? Curiosity finally took over, and when she opened her eyes, she saw Sigurd sheathing the knife. It wasn't exactly dropping it, but it was good enough.

"Wise decision," Elsa said.

The mist vanished, and the ice spheres trapping the soldiers receded. All of them instantly raised their weapons—only to lower them in fear when they heard a loud roar behind them at the gates. It was Marshmallow!

And Elsa was nowhere to be seen.

"Your Majesty?" Sigurd said with a singsong tone. "I thought we had an arrangement."

"Do we now?" Elsa said behind him. He spun around, taking his hand to the hilt of his sword. "Prove it. Tell you men to stand down."

Sigurd chuckled again and moved his hand away from his weapon. "Stand down, people!" he ordered, turning to look at them. "We're leaving this place."

The soldiers seemed confused, but they obeyed. Marshmallow kept blocking the exit while the men prepared to move out. Meanwhile, Sigurd moved closer to Elsa, speaking in a low conversational tone, but Anna was able to hear them anyway.

"Now _this_ is the Snow Queen I'd heard so many stories about. I'm impressed, Your Highness. You could take over the world if you resolved to do it, you know?"

Elsa held her icy gaze.

"I will tell you this, Queen Elsa," he continued. It was the first time Anna didn't hear him talk without a trace of sarcasm. "You've just earned my respect and admiration. As I said before, not every regent has the character and strength of will that you have. That's the only reason why I'm relenting. But know this: no man or woman has ever truly defeated me, and you shall not be the exception. We will meet again someday, and we shall settle this little feud between you and me once and for all."

Elsa leaned closer to his face. "You better pray that doesn't happen, for your own sake. And if it does happen, you will rue the day you set foot in my kingdom and tried to kill my sister."

Sigurd looked at her with a smug smile on his face. "I'll see you around."

"Never again," Elsa told him firmly. "Go."

Sigurd didn't move, still looking at Elsa haughtily.

"Go!" she commanded.

Several seconds passed before Sigurd finally walked away and towards the gate to lead his men on their journey back home, wherever 'home' was for each of them. Elsa nodded at Marshmallow, and the bulky snowman stepped aside to allow the Captain and his army to march through the gates. The men headed for the Northern Road and disappeared into the night, never to return to Arendelle.

When the army was out of sight, Elsa let her shoulders drop and rushed to help her sister. "Anna, are you alright?"

"I'm fine, Elsa," she replied, though half of her face felt on fire.

Elsa knelt to look clearly at her and, probably seeing her swollen cheek, clenched her fists. She stared at the road with a murderous look on her face and began standing up.

"Elsa, please, don't," Anna said, grabbing her sister's arm. "Just let him go. He's not worth it."

Elsa hesitated, but upon looking at Anna's watery eyes, she relented. She stroked Anna's hair and said teasingly, "Are you trying to follow in our cousin's footsteps?"

Anna laughed. "Yeah, something like that."

And both sisters hugged each other lovingly. Anna felt relief wash over her. Her sister was back, in every sense of the word.

"I love you, Anna."

"I love you too, Elsa."

Then they heard a muffled voice saying something like, 'I'm still here'. Anna gasped. "Kristoff!" She ran to him and freed him of his bindings and gag. "I'm sorry. Are you okay?" she asked him, wiping some blood from his forehead.

"I've got a thick skull, remember?" he replied, winking. He grunted as he tried to stand up, but Anna wouldn't let him, as she couldn't help kissing him passionately before he could. She heard Elsa giggle and clear her throat while she approached.

"Thank you for looking after her, Kristoff," she told him, offering a hand to help him on his feet. "I'm sure you did all you could to keep her safe. You'll make a great brother-in-law someday."

Both Anna and Kristoff blushed as he nodded, smiling. Then, looking all around him, he asked, "Where are Olaf and Sven?"

Elsa opened her mouth to speak, but a cheerful voice and the sound of hoofs hitting the ground cut her off. "Hey, guys!"

Sven arrived running at the courtyard. Olaf hopped off his back and ran to embrace the sisters while Kristoff patted his friend and congratulated him. Nobody noticed Marshmallow approaching until they were all surrounded and lifted in the air by a pair of large snow arms. It was a big, happy family reunion. But there was still someone else missing.

"So, when is Wintergale joining us?" Anna asked when Marshmallow put them down.

Elsa looked sadly up to the sky. "She isn't."

Anna gave her a double take. "What?"

Elsa didn't reply.

"Come on, Elsa. Sigurd's gone. I know that it was all a bluff, so you can drop the act," Anna said, teasingly.

"I wish it were an act," Elsa said. Her voice was shaky.

Anna shook her head. "No, you can't be serious. She is leaving for real? But where is she going?"

A tear rolled down Elsa's cheek. "Where she belongs."

* * *

_Elsa woke up at dusk, feeling physically rested but with a heavy heart nonetheless. She had fallen asleep shortly before dawn, pondering about the dragon rider's proposal. She didn't want to concede that the rider was right, even though she knew she was, because that would mean having to get separated from Wintergale—which was something she didn't want to do. _She_ had been the one to find her in that cave. _She_ had been the one to bond with her. _She_ had been the one to help her find her courage and let go of her fear to fly. Besides, she wasn't sure that the Ice Fury would leave her side anyway. After all, she had come back for her to the Ice Palace when she sensed that she was in trouble._

_And that had almost got them both killed._

_She knew that none of what they had endured together meant a thing if she couldn't protect her. So, yeah, perhaps she could manage to take Sigurd out of the picture this time, but then what? She wouldn't be able to keep Wintergale in secret forever, especially now that she could fly. What if other people came and tried to kill her? She had to admit that, in a way, she and the rider were on the same page. She wouldn't let anyone kill Wintergale either. But how could she hope to protect her _and_ her kingdom if one endangered the other?_

_At some point, someone crazy enough—and with enough resources—might declare war to her small kingdom only to get their hands on the Ice Fury. Someone like Drago Bludvist, the man the dragon rider mentioned before, for example. And if such a thing happened, there would be bloodshed. Arendelle simply wasn't prepared for war, not after seven decades of peace. Diplomacy and good trade relationships had been key to maintaining said peace, so a large army hadn't been necessary for a long time. The Royal Guards were Arendelle's sole standing army, and it was made up of roughly 300 men—not enough to actually go into battle with a larger kingdom._

_And she was only considering the larger picture on a long term. Right here and now, there was just too much at stake if she kept Wintergale. But could Elsa bring herself to part ways with her dragon?_

_After she woke up, the rider—who was already awake—told her to get ready to return and that she had a plan to save Anna. She didn't share it with Elsa, though, and Elsa felt it would be pointless to ask about it. Shortly after that, they left the lake and headed back to Arendelle. Olaf rode with Elsa on Wintergale's back while Cloudjumper carried Marshmallow—who, in turn, carried Sven in his arms—like he did before. They flew over the North Mountain on their way back, finding that, in spite of the damage done to the Palace, it was still standing. There was no sign of Sigurd or his soldiers anywhere, so they kept flying._

_When they were a short distance from the fjord, they landed at the outskirts of the town, on top of a hill overlooking it. Elsa felt somewhat relieved to see Sigurd and his army on the road, still a good distance away from the castle. At their current speed, they would arrive in about ten minutes._

_She and Olaf got off Wintergale's back. So far, the woman hadn't mentioned anything else about the Ice Fury, perhaps giving Elsa a bit more time to think about it. But now, the rider was gazing at her from behind that mask, and Elsa knew that she awaited a response. She lowered her head. This was one of those times when making a choice is really hard no matter how much time one takes to make it, even when you know which is the right thing to do, because it's extremely painful._

_Without saying a word, Elsa knelt to loosen the saddle straps. She took the saddle off Wintergale's neck carefully and placed it on the ground. She did the same with the saddle pad. Wintergale looked at Elsa, puzzled. Elsa cupped the dragon's face between her hands._

_"Hey, girl. Remember when I told you to go with Olaf and Sven while I took care of the man chasing you?"_

_The dragon growled._

_"Well, now I need you to…" she began, but she was unable to finish her sentence. A lump formed on her throat. "I need you to go with…"_

_She couldn't continue. She rested her head on Wintergale's own and began sobbing. There was no easy way to tell someone you loved to go away… especially your best friend. Because Anna was her sister; they were family. But Wintergale…_

_"You are my best friend," she told her amid the sobs. "My first friend, in fact. I don't want this, but it's for your own good."_

_The dragon crooned softly. She sounded sad._

_"I know, Wintergale. I love you too. And because I love you, I have to let you go."_

_Elsa turned to look at the rider. "You promise me she will be safe?"_

_"She will," the woman said._

_Elsa nodded and looked again into Wintergale's eyes. "See? You'll be fine," she said, mirroring her father's last words to her._

_Wintergale growled and shook her head, looking at Elsa with begging eyes._

_"Please, listen to me. Nothing will ever break our friendship. It doesn't matter if you're here or a thousand miles away from me. Nothing will ever truly break us apart. You hear me, Wintergale?"_

_The Ice Fury's gaze met Elsa's. She could've sworn the dragon was crying with her._

_"I'll never forget you, my dearest friend, so please don't forget me. And always remember what I told you. You are brave and strong, like ice. Don't be afraid to fly. Don't be afraid to be free. And whatever you do, don't ever go back to what you used to be. The past is in the past, okay?"_

_The dragon nodded. Elsa embraced her once more. "I'll miss you."_

_They were like that for a while until the dragon rider poked her shoulder. "It's time."_

_Elsa let go of Wintergale and looked at the woman, waiting to hear her plan._

_"The army has arrived at your castle. You must hurry if you want to get there and teach them who the real ruler is in this kingdom. I'll wait for you to arrive at the bridge, and then we'll leave, making a lot of noise to draw their attention." She turned to climb on Cloudjumper's back, but before doing so, she looked back once more. "Good luck, Queen Elsa."_

_"You too," Elsa replied. "And thank you."_

_The rider nodded. Elsa and Olaf climbed onto Sven's back, and they left. Marshmallow followed them, running. As they distanced themselves from the woman and the dragons, she looked back to see Wintergale one last time._

Goodbye, dear friend_, she thought._

_When they reached the plaza a few minutes later, Elsa hopped off the reindeer's back and instructed him to stay hidden until the soldiers were gone—for good this time. She and Marshmallow ran from one end of the bridge to the other, and then she heard Cloudjumper roar mightily. That was her cue. She took a moment to analyze her feelings, trying to determine which of them was best to use to face Sigurd._

_There was a deep sadness from Wintergale's departure. There was rage from the fact that Sigurd had caused them to separate in one way or another. And there was concern for what he could still be trying to do to her sister. She thought of using her anger, just like she had done at her Palace, since it seemed to be the feeling that gave her greater power._

_But there was something else she couldn't ignore or shut out: love. She tried to forget about it in order to unleash the fearsome side of her powers… but she couldn't. After all, letting Wintergale go had been an act of love. Saving her sister was an act of love._

_Everything she'd been doing so far for both her sister and her best friend had been out of pure love._

_Tears streamed down her face once more. They were tears of sorrow but also of gladness—a gladness that came from knowing that Wintergale would finally find peace and rest in the dragon rider's sanctuary. Now she had to make sure that this sacrifice she'd been forced to make would not be in vain._

_She felt a sudden surge of power within her. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before. And in a sudden moment of enlightenment, she realized that she had found a new side to her abilities and how they related to her emotions. Up to now, there had only been one feeling at a time whenever she used her powers. In that very instant, however, there were more than one—and they were all equally present. There wasn't a prevalent feeling but a balance between them all._

_She felt like she could take these 200 men down in one fell swoop… but she also felt in absolute control. She didn't have to unleash a storm upon these people. And she _wouldn't_ kill them, unless they gave her reason to. Thus, it would be better to deny them the chance to do so._

_She stomped the ground…_

* * *

"Elsa, think fast!" Anna's loud warning interrupted Elsa's train of thought. Or rather, it was the snowball that hit her squarely on the right side of her face.

Several gasps were heard as everyone else in the courtyard froze in place, awaiting anxiously the Snow Queen's response to this sudden attack.

Elsa wiped the snow from her face. The cold didn't bother her, but the hit hurt a bit. "Anna, why would you throw me a snowball?"

"Because you need to have some fun," Anna replied, grinning mischievously.

"I'm still Queen of Arendelle, Anna, and you must show me respect!" Elsa stated, sounding upset and even furious.

Anna looked unnaturally nervous. "I-I'm sorry, Elsa. I just thought—"

"Throwing snowballs at royalty is considered daring and offensive," Elsa interrupted her.

"I-I just got caught up in the heat of the moment and—"

"Besides," Elsa continued, her fingers moving and twirling ever so slightly, "you should already know that hitting the Snow Queen with a snowball has its consequences."

Anna failed to notice the large shadow blocking the sunlight right above her. With another twirl of Elsa's fingers, a seven-foot wide snowball she'd been forming in the last few seconds fell on top of Anna's head, covering her completely in snow.

"Now _that's_ funny, and also a good punishment for your audacity," Elsa said as Anna's head popped from under the pile of snow.

Some people laughed as discreetly as possible, but others—including Kristoff—must've thought that this was the most hilarious thing they'd seen because they began guffawing uncontrollably. This laughter became contagious soon enough as everyone resumed their recreational activities on snow. Elsa could only smile at the sight of her loyal subjects, and even her servants and guards, having such a good time. They deserved it after nearly two weeks of confinement and boredom.

She also took pride in such a well done job. All of her planning and preparation for this anniversary celebration, even if it was taking two weeks later than originally intended, had borne fruit. The courtyard looked amazing—all covered in a thick layer of snow, enough to let all these people have more than enough fun building snowmen and making snow angels. The whole place was littered with them by now, in fact. Needless to say, this was the only place in Arendelle with snow, since the summer sun had finally melted away the rest.

She looked at Marshmallow who stood at the far side of the courtyard, standing guard at the gates as he always did at the Ice Palace. Elsa had given him his own personal flurry just like she had done with Olaf so that he could stay for this event. And though his crown was still missing, he looked happy. The people of Arendelle had warmed up to the giant snowman just as quickly as they had with Olaf—especially the children. Some kids would walk up to him at times and ask him to lift them on his shoulders, and he would comply without questioning. Even now, the two kids she'd met during her first night escapade—Kat and her friend—were enjoying themselves with him.

"Alright, listen, everyone!" she exclaimed. "Take sides, because it's time for the snowball fight!"

She used her powers to make two trenches—and hundreds of snowballs, enough for all the townspeople to have a decent fight. Within seconds, the snowballs began flying from one side of the courtyard to the other. Elsa smiled melancholically.

"Well, it's good to know that you have a sense of humor, twisted though it may be," Anna said, still shaking off some snow from behind her ears.

"I'm sorry about that," Elsa said, giggling.

"No, you're not," Anna replied.

"No, I'm not," Elsa admitted, smirking. She still couldn't get used to seeing Anna with her hair short.

"I knew it. But that's fine, I don't mind. I rather have you pull a prank on me than seeing you depressed."

Elsa's smile vanished.

"Come on, Elsa, cheer up. Wintergale wouldn't want you to be like this."

She sighed. "I just keep thinking of how much she would've loved to be here."

"Among so many people?"

"Why not?"

"I don't know. She didn't strike me as the sociable type."

Elsa remembered what the dragon rider had told her about Furies. "You'd be surprised."

Anna put a comforting hand on Elsa's shoulder. "You did the right thing, Elsa."

"I know," Elsa replied. "I don't regret letting her go, and I never will. But I feel like part of my heart has been ripped, and I'm not sure if that will ever heal."

Anna stayed silent for a few moments. Then, she smiled. "Do you wanna build a snowman?"

In spite of herself, Elsa smiled at her sister's childish antics. "A living one?"

Anna laughed. "No, a normal one will do."

She took Elsa's hand and took her to the nearest mound of snow. They began building their snowman, and as they did, the rest of the world around them faded away. It was just the two of them in that simple moment. This was the first time in fifteen years that Anna and Elsa built a snowman, and Elsa was enjoying it with every fiber of her being. She felt like that carefree little girl she used to be. It was a nice feeling.

When they were finished, and while Anna went looking for a carrot among the crates that Elsa had given to Sven, Elsa sat on the ground and reminisced of the night when she and Wintergale first met. A tear fell to the ground and mixed with the snowflakes covering it. Wherever she was now, she could only hope that she was happy. As for Elsa…

_I'll never forget you, my dearest friend…_

* * *

**A/N: And that was the end of Part I. I hope you enjoyed it.**

**Obviously, this also means that the (possibly) month-long hiatus has officially begun. I may feel tempted to reduce it to a two-week long one if I get enough lovely reviews, but it won't be less than that because I need those two weeks (plus the remaining days of this one) to finish at least two more chapters for 'The Fifth Race's Reclaimers'. Also, I promised my Latin American readers to translate Chapters 10 and 11 during that time, so there's that. On the other hand, this hiatus will also give people a chance to catch up with HTTYD2, especially in those countries where the film was released later than in the US.**

**Before I get to the general replies to the latest reviews, I'd like to answer one in particular from Bloodmoon234:  
I appreciate your comment and your attempt not to insult my writing skills, as you put it. In fact, what you said had me thinking for a while, wondering if could've made a terrible mistake while writing this story. Truth be told, I thought of 200 soldiers (I did say as well that they were soldiers from different places, not mercenaries) because I honestly didn't think that any more than that would fit inside the courtyard with tents and camping equipment and whatnot. However, there was this phrase you wrote that stood out among the rest of your arguments: you said, 'especially in medieval period'. I'm sorry to contradict you, but both _Frozen_ and _Tangled_ (I bring the latter up only 'cause you did) take place between the late 1700s and early 1800s.  
Also, your comment about the army of Corona had me thinking, so I took some time this week to watch _Tangled_ again. I don't like to speculate, but I'd say the number of soldiers in the gallows might be between 200-300, and since Flynn (*cough* _Eugene!_ *cough*) was to be hanged that day, I'd even bet that all of the soldiers in Corona were there both to witness the excecution and to ensure that he didn't escape—which he did, anyway, thanks to the timely intervention of Maximus _and_ a band of mercenaries and criminals.  
But let's say you're right about Corona having no less than a thousand soldiers. The King and Queen of Corona had a reason to have such an army, and I personally think it had nothing to do with a display of dominance. They spent 18 years searching for their daughter who had been kidnapped from the castle under their very noses. That would make any parent paranoid, don't you think? Besides, Arendelle strikes me more as a peaceful kingdom, which would be logic since this was a period of relative peace in Norway where Arendelle is located.  
And finally, the reason why Elsa's 'generals'—or rather, Royal Guards—were not present when Sigurd was in the Throne Room with her could simply be because she asked them to leave the two of them have a conversation in private.**

**Sorry if I sound a bit arrogant with all these arguments. I usually admit when I'm wrong, but if there is a chance I might not be, I think have the right to defend my stance, don't I?  
**

**Okay, let's get now to the other replies:**

**_Angryhenry:_ Nope. At least not yet.  
************__****magiclover13:**** I just love your reviews!**** Always so filled with enthusiasm and with such a detailed analysis of the chapter. Thank you! I'm absolutely looking forward to Baby Furies (in fact, that's one of the many reasons why I began writing this story). I won't say much about how HTTYD2 will fit into this story, and you may or not be right about your theory of the chieftain. And why do we have to wait two months for Season 4?! D: Anyway, thank you so much for reviewing!  
**_alienfinderx:_ Absolutely, we need more Furies, please! Regarding pairings, I guess only time will tell. Your idea sound pretty dramatic indeed, and under other circumstances I might use it. Unfortunately, I already have the whole story 'mapped out', so I'm afraid I can't, but thanks for sharing it, anyway. And no, as much as it made me cry like crazy, I wouldn't take that scene away from the story, 'cause I agree with you. Thank you!  
_ArmyWife22079:_ Yep, just like Vikings were Norsemen, and Arendelle takes place in Norway, they share the same language because of it. Thank you! I'm glad you liked this chapter, and I too am excited about OUAT!  
**********__****White Hunter:**** Thanks. I hope this wasn't too sad.**  
_Linzerj:_ I'm glad you stumbled upon this too ;). Thank you for reviewing! (And is there away to make time run faster?! Two months is just too much!).  
**************************__****YouNameIt:**** I agree with you, the bond between dragon and rider is forever. But Wintergale is also extremely smart, and she knew there was no other way, no matter how painful it was for her as well as for Elsa. I hope you liked this chapter!**  
_imvictorious:_ Thank you! Rest assured, I will continue!  
**********__****************__****Pabulover123**:** Ain't that the truth. But it's satisfying to know that the effort is well worth it. **And what exactly did you think I'd have Sigurd do to Anna? Anyway, I agree with you, if they don't mention Olaf at all, heads are gonna roll! And trust me, you'll love Georgina Haig as Elsa. I'm certain of it! Thanks!  
**************__****Cry-Pom:**** Thank you! I'm glad you liked the theory.  
************__****************__****alive-in-us**:** Don't worry, I know the feeling... :'(**  
_Azlea:_ I freaked out as well, and I actually believe that was the general reaction. Thank you for your comments! I hope you liked this chapter.  
**********__****lady:**** She could've done it, yeah, but I don't think she would've gone to such lengths. We'll get to see more of Valka and Elsa at some point, and keep those fingers crossed!**  
**************************__****Crystal12:**** Their bond is definitely unique and special. I'm sorry I had to break them apart, but it's only for a while. Thank you!**  
**************************__****PascalDragon:**** U****ps, I guess I _did_ forget to mention her reaction to them!** Sorry! I'm aware that most people believe _Frozen_ takes place in the 1840s, but some have moved it to the late 1700s because of Rapunzel's appearance in the film. Personally, I chose to follow the latter because having Vikings in the 1800s was already pushing my story too far, and also because of a certain sequel that I'm planning to write which needs it to be in that time period. Which seasons of OUAT have you watched so far? And thanks for mentioning your preference for Sci-Fi stuff; you might be interested in reading my Halo/SGA crossover, then. Thanks for your review, Sven!  
_eagle219406:_ You're right, Sigurd is an OC, and yes, it's possible that he's obsessed with Wintergale because of that. I'm glad you like the story and the song adaptation!  
_Art n' Music:_ That's a reaction I'm sooo willing to see, too! Thank you for reviewing!  


**Now, since I will be 'gone' for a while, I've decided to include my replies to Chapter 11 reviews in this very same author's note rather than waiting until Chapter 12 to answer to them all. It's not much, and I bet some of you would prefer a new chapter instead of replies, but it's something at least. So, if you write a _review_ for Chapter 11, I'll reply to it within 24 hours, so keep refreshing this page in your browser during that time until you find your reply. :)**

**Also, I've noticed that there are some new reviews for previous chapters. I'll also reply to those soon enough. I didn't do it before because I was still deciding whether to add those replies to their respective chapter or to answer them in a latter one. I've finally chosen to do the latter, so, same deas as with reviews for Chapter 11. Thank you all for reading!**

**I'll see you guys in two weeks!**

* * *

**UPDATE  
Replies to Chapter 11 reviews:  
**

_**Guest: **_**Sorry about the hiatus, but don't worry, they will meet again... someday.  
****************__****White Hunter:**** Someday, indeed...** Thank you!  
**_Art n' Music:_ If things go according to plan, they will. Thanks!**  
_Bigby the Big Bad Wolf:_ Unfortunately, there are no plans to include Sigurd anymore. He was kind of an expendable secondary character. There will be mention of his fate, though, and yeah, it's not too good for him. Would've been nice to have Hiccup facing Sigurd, but it's just not gonna happen. I still hope you like the rest of the story. Thanks for the review!  
**************__****magiclover13:**** I'm glad to know I've been able to capture Elsa and Anna as closely ************************to how the movie characters are ************************as possible. (Did that phrase make any sense to you? I'm not sure if I wrote it correctly.) Thanks for pointing those little details out; I try to proofread the chapter all the time, but sometimes I just miss the little things such as that one. Part II will be epic! ...I hope, at least. You're welcome, and thank you**** for reviewing! P.S.: I'd love to hear your theory. I just can't get enough of the new season, and it hasn't even aired! Have you seen the pics of the live-action Queen Elsa yet?  
****************__****************__****Pabulover123**:** Yay, baby Furies all around**! Black magic, hehehe. Thank you for your patience!  
_Sunny Lighter:_ No, that's just the end of Part I. We'll get to see more!  
_amillipede:_ My, thank you for all the flattery! I'm glad you like this story. I'll try to update before a month so as to not keep you waiting for long.  
_Wrendragongirl:_ Thanks!  
_Velvetpru'd:_ Thank you! I'm excited, too.  


* * *

**UPDATE  
Replies to new reviews for previous chapters:  
**

_******Coming soon...**_


End file.
